A Thousand Miles
by BokchoiBaboy
Summary: She was gone, but he'd walk a thousand miles just to see her again. [NejiTen]
1. Autumn Memories

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Prologue – **_Autumn Memories_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto

**A/N: **This takes place when Rookie 9 && Team Gai are in late teens (19 ish)

* * *

_I don't care what I have to do just to see you again..._

_...I'll walk a thousand miles...just for you..._

* * *

Tenten's delicate fingers grazed the golden locket hanging around her neck as her weary eyes closed to reminisce. Every inhale brought her pain all over her cold body, and she had long given up trying to break away. Her tired eyes opened once more, staring in the familiar darkness. She knew she didn't have much time left; the conditions she was forced to live in had determined her bleak fate. A sorrowful smile graced her chapped lips, as reality continued to pain her. 

_I can't...ever see him again._

* * *

Hyuuga Neji carefully opened his eyes from a long mediation session. His pearl orbs stared at the falling leaves of autumn, his body surrounded by an array of reds, oranges, and yellows. He slowly began to become part of the surrounding environment, forgetting all his troubles, his worries, and his sorrows. His mind began to clear, but a fading image was brought into it after a leaf gently blew by his cheek. 

_Tenten._

His usual frown grew larger and deeper, as the fading image began to grow clearer. More autumn leaves rushed by him, seeming to make more images and memories of her appear in his mind. He had lost all sense of meditating, and opened his eyes to try and make her image go away. Ever since that day two years ago, he was on the edge of insanity, and everybody in Konoha knew it. It made them the smallest bit weary, having one of their best ANBU captains so close to losing himself. But he paid no attention to them. He continued carrying on missions, leading his teams to victory and success all the time. But each step taken felt like he was walking closer to falling off a cliff.

Autumn had just only started. The leaves began to fade into the warm colors of red, orange, and yellow, adding the calm flurry to a season of change. Neji slowly got up from his place on the grass, his eyes gently staring at the autumn scenery. It reminded him so much of her it pained him to linger and watch the beautiful array. Not able to take the reminiscent scenery, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and began his journey home.**  
**

* * *

When Neji had entered the large Hyuuga estate, he met Hinata in the gardens. He noticed her confused state, but was too dismal to pry into her daily life. It wasn't his style, anyway. When Hinata had noticed her cousin, she was about to speak with him, but refrained when she felt his dreary aura. Instead, the Hyuuga heiress stared as the trees within the large garden began to shed their leaves, the leaves being torn and swayed by the gentle breezes. 

_Tenten. _

Tears were almost brought to her eyes when she had realized what was making her cousin feel so dismal. However, she quickly shook away the salty liquids from her eyes, and continued to stare at the dancing reds and oranges. She knew that it would be faulty of her to begin to cry outside of the estate, in the gardens. The elders and unkind Hyuuga members would surely speak to her father about disgrace. Hinata simply let out a sigh, gently catching a red-orange leaf in her small, delicate hands. She would give _anything _to see her cousin happy again.**  
**

* * *

Neji quietly sat on the chair sitting near the window, his eyes lost in the autumn beauty. His room was empty, let alone a few decorative items here and there. He felt that it suited his current mood and personality – _loneliness_. 

Loneliness had long since become his best friend. After what had happened two years ago, there was nobody there to welcome him home from a tiring mission the same way _she _did. There was nobody there to free him from his cage and the cursed seal the Branch family had to bear. However, the feeling was there long before her arrival in his life. It was there when his father had died, protecting Hiashi. It was there when he had so much promise, strength, and intelligence that wasn't recognized when he was still a blossoming ninja in his Academy days. Loneliness was always there for him; the Hyuuga household wasn't a caring one, at least not as much one would expect. The only apparent reason that had caused loneliness to become so familiar with the young man was simple: when his father had died, he had fallen even deeper in a locked cage – a prison.

But that was six years ago. When he was placed in the same cell as Gai, Rock Lee, and Tenten, a simple, unnoticed change was going on within him. He was slowly climbing up from the darkness, aid from his team keeping him going. His ambitions, his limits, his _needs, _were met by them, but the most thanks he had to owe for his change was to his female teammate – Tenten.

She had unknowingly crawled into his heart the first time they had trained and sparred. She allowed him to unleash his full power on her, full knowing that it was dangerous, and could prove fatal to her health. She allowed him to perfect his deadly techniques, knowing that she may lose feeling in any part of her body, or her chakra flow could be permanently stopped. She knew that he could _kill _her. But she still didn't mind; she let him perfect his techniques until she collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. She never complained she was tired or in pain; she continued to move on until _he _ended the spar. But most of all, she _loved _him for who he was; she didn't care that he was cold, arrogant, and cocky and times, and his vocabulary only consisted of a few words. She loved him for who he was with all her heart.

And he knew that nothing could ever change that. The feeling for her at first was simple: she was a valuable friend and sparring partner. Soon, after many more spars, missions, and days forced together, his feeling blossomed into something greater than anyone could have ever expected: he _loved _her. He kept his feelings hidden from her, well enough that she had had to confess to him herself, nervous and scared that he wouldn't be able to return her love. However, her first confrontation was so unexpected that he was unprepared, and gave her an undesirable answer. She left him for a few days, locked up in her room. He knew she wasn't crying or moping around; she was just thinking, left to herself to find out how to fix what she had done.

The few days she had gone, Neji had begun to feel alone. Gai and Lee were too busy training with their youthful selves to prove to be good sparring partners as Tenten had. He soon felt the familiar loneliness again, and after the third day of being alone, he _casually _made his way to her house.

When she had opened the door, he was surprised to see her hair down, and only clothed in her pajamas. She was embarrassed to know end that he had to see her like _this_: in some loose pajama bottoms and a green tank top. She asked him what he was doing, and before he answered her, he stepped into her house, and closed the door. She looked at him questioningly, ignoring his rude gesture to go into her house uninvited.

He took in the smell of sesame balls coming from the kitchen, but quickly averted his mind back to the girl in front of him.

_"Neji?"_

She had asked questioningly, almost in a seductive whisper. A smirk was present on his lips, and he leaned forward, closing the gaps between their lips for a few minutes. She responded timidly, her heart overflowing with joy. When they had broken apart for air, a puzzled yet blissful look appeared in her eyes, and he gave her a small, genuine smile.

"I love you," he simply said.

He could never say that in public, at least not until the ice around his heart mellowed out around everyone else. And she knew that. She didn't care one bit. His weird ways of caring for her was enough to keep her going.

Neji remembered those days bitterly, cursing his mind of wandering into a topic that pained him to even think about. That day two years ago – if only he had _known _that what happened, would _happen, _he would have told her he loved her out loud, in front of everyone. He would have given her the best day of her life. He would have loved her openly, like a lover _should._

It seemed as if she knew what great task she was taking on. Her personality the last few hours before departing were quiet and distant, thoughtful about the things that could happen to her. He remembered the last look, the last smile, the last kiss, and the last words to him from her were.

He remembered her eyes gleaming from held-back tears, but held the glint of a promise unsaid.

He remembered her smile being full of sorrow, but reassuring him that everything would be okay.

He remembered the savory taste of her lips when she reassured him she wouldn't stray.

He remembered the last words of promise before she disappeared.

_I'll come back to you. I'll come back, and I'll be fine..._

_I promise you Neji. _

_...I love you._

He felt his heart lift slightly, a tiny, upward curve of his lips forming.

He knew she didn't break her promise. He knew she didn't lie.

_Tenten. _

He opened his bedroom window, letting the fresh breezes bring the fresh air into his empty space. He sat up, and reached out, catching a brilliant red leaf gently between his fingers, a small smile gracing his lips.

_Tenten...I'll walk a thousand miles just to see you again._

* * *

**A/N: **Yayy, another fanfiction. I hope you like how this one turns out! 


	2. Regret

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 1 – **_Regret_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N:** I hope this chapter is less confusing, and clears up some things I left hanging in the prologue. Thank you for all your reviews!

* * *

Neji quietly stared at his blank ceiling, his thoughts wandering through all his memories, making it utterly impossible for him to sleep. He turned to his side, and eyed the leaf he had caught earlier that day. He had no idea why he had kept it, but it soothed his dismal mind and added an air of comfort in his empty room. Without looking at his clock, he knew it was sometime past midnight. While his thoughts were wandering through his bittersweet memories, his genius side decided to keep track of time. 

He stared at the brilliant red from the leaf, its color almost dull from the darkness of the night. His hand reached out for it and gently grabbed it, and he cupped the leaf within his hands. For some reason, there was an eerie heartfelt connection with this leaf, as if it knew a secret, and was taunting him with its resemblance to _her. _Unable to take the pain of his confined, empty room, he got up, threw on his clothes, and walked out, leaving the leaf carefully undamaged on his bed.

When he had walked outside, a gentle breeze greeted him at the door, and he closed the door quietly, to make sure everyone would be able to sleep well. The breeze seemed to be gentle and undying, seeming to guide him to the gardens. He sat on the bench where he had seen Hinata when he had arrived home, and like his cousin, he watched the trees before him shed their leaves. The warm colors weren't as brilliant as they would be in the sunlight, but the moonlight seemed to give them an enchanted air.

He remembered so clearly. It was nearing the climax of autumn on that day...

* * *

_Tenten landed gracefully on her feet, after releasing her __Sōshōryū on Neji for the second time that day. She knelt on one knee, her sweaty palms touching the dirt, trying to catch her breath. Neji allowed this, knowing that she was growing tired and could collapse from exhaustion if he tried her strength one more time. _

"_You aren't yourself, today. You couldn't tire out from two Sōshōryū. Is something bothering you?" _

_Even he was surprised at his words of care, and her eyes widened and shone with hidden joy. She slowly got up and walked towards her secret lover, knowing his eyes were carefully watching her chakra flow to make sure she wouldn't collapse. _

"_...I have a mission...tomorrow." _

_His usual hard eyes widened with surprised, almost showing hurt at how she waited to tell him a day in advance. He wouldn't have forced her to spar as hard as she did if he had known. _

"_Why did you wait to tell me now?" He asked, small hurt now evident in his voice._

_A small, upward curve of her lips showed him that there was still so much about her that he didn't know. She stopped when she was a few inches away from him, and looked into his pearl orbs. He could feel her trying to explain something to him through her eyes, as if trying to tell him something that she couldn't bear to say out loud. _

"_...I...wanted to spar with you first...so you can...get stronger."_

_His state of mind was thrown into confusion, and he could feel his heart twisting and turning. She sacrificed the day before a mission, to spar with him? He wondered how she could remain so strong, how she could hide everything so well. He wondered why he couldn't read her face and emotions like she could with him._

"_I'll be gone for a long time. Tsunade-sama...wants me to infiltrate a village. Some S-ranked criminals are causing chaos, and the lives of the villagers are at stake. I'm going with our team, so you'll be helping Sasuke and Naruto's team while I'm gone." _

_His lips turned into a deep frown. Tsunade assigned her _his_ team, without even informing _him_ about it? Tsunade knew Neji's team was one of the best for infiltrations, alongside Sasuke's team. The two teams were good for just about any S-Ranked missions._

"_Why am I not aiding you, and our team, in this mission?" _

_Tenten didn't reply, and just let a silence loom between them. He knew that she was keeping something from him, and he didn't like it. He was about to question her, but she shook her head. He noticed how her eyes had grown downcast and distant; they were only like that when she was hiding her pain. _

"_...Tomorrow at the gates. 9 AM is our departure time." _

_He knew she wanted him to be there, to watch her go. He knew that she was keeping in something that was hurting her, and he only wished she could tell him. He nodded, and before she left, she gave him a small, chaste kiss, and after a small goodbye, she disappeared. _

_He stared at the autumn leaves that fell where she stood. _

* * *

Neji slammed his fist on the hardwood of the bench. It was not strong enough to cause a racket, but caused splinters to fly through the air. He grit his teeth to prevent an unfamiliar salty liquid to grace his pearl eyes, but was not able to stop his body from trembling from anger and remorse. 

If he had known that she was going to leave on a mission that day, he wouldn't have worn her out in a spar. He would have spent the day with her, he would have told her he loved her countless times, and he would have given her something sweet to remember by the time she had left. But he didn't. He was only able to give her one last kiss, one last goodbye, and one last tiring spar. And that was all he had offered her before she left for that mission.

Was he really that bad of a lover? Was he unable to tell her dying enthusiasm and determination during the spar? He clenched his fists. What kind of person was he? A lone tear nearly escaped his eyes, but he stopped it the last minute, and shut his eyes.

He grit his teeth, his fists still tightly clenched.

_I failed being her lover. I couldn't even...show her...in public..._

After his feeling of anger and remorse died down, the breezes gently took him to the day...

* * *

_Neji waited patiently for Tenten and the rest of the infiltration team to arrive at the gates. He was never a second late, and always arrived early. After a few minutes, Tsunade had gone down to give the team a proper mission report and an expectation lecture before they departed. _

"_Tsunade-sama," Neji said respectively._

_She gave him a loose smile, and stood next to him, a hint of sake present in her breath._

"_Hyuuga." _

_An awkward silence loomed between them, but it was to be expected from the quiet Hyuuga Neji. The Godaime didn't mind, knowing that it was his nature to be silent and mysterious._

"_You're probably wondering why I didn't assign you on this mission." _

_He looked at her questioningly, sensing her hesitation. He knew he didn't have to tell her to go on; she would go on when she found the right words to say._

"_...Tenten didn't want you to-..." She was interrupted when Tenten yelled a greeting. _

_Tsunade immediately broke off from her conversation, and turned to face Tenten, greeting her with a simple nod and smile. The Godaime walked towards the now approaching team to give them the update, and to give Neji and Tenten a moment together alone. She knew she shouldn't have mentioned why Neji was not assigned the mission. It might cause danger for the secrecy of the reason later on. The Godaime shrugged this feeling off, and waited patiently for the approaching team to arrive.  
_

"_Neji." _

_His eyes looked at the young woman beside him, a small sorrowful smile present on her lips. There was a comfortable silence between them._

"_What village are you infiltrating?" _

_The question left a heavy weight on the air, and Tenten knew she couldn't tell him. She knew she had to hide the truth from him to save him from what she was hiding. _

"_...That's not important."_

_Neji was about to say something to her, but stopped when Tsunade had walked over to give Tenten a briefing._

"_Tenten. Fail this mission, and you may lose your rank. This is an essential mission that you cannot fail. If you fail, many lives will die, and will cost our land and village dearly."_

_Tenten nodded._

"_You will give me reports by hawk at 11:44 am, every Wednesday morning."_

_Tenten nodded once again._

"_You have a moment."_

_Tsunade gave the couple one last moment alone, and walked towards the team to remind them once more. Tenten stared into Neji's eyes for a few seconds, trying to give him a deeper meaning and show of compassion. She knew he couldn't show his compassion in front of everyone. She knew he wasn't ready for that yet. It took her by surprise, however, when he pulled her into an embrace. She smiled when she smelled his scent – a faint smell of lavender, most likely picked up from Hinata. _

"_I'm sorry..."_

_Tenten was about to continue, but was stopped when she felt a pair of warm lips over her own. She replied with as much compassion as she felt, and soon the chaste kiss ended when the two broke apart for air. _

"_Get ready to depart!" Tsunade's voice boomed. _

_Neji let Tenten move to her appropriate position, and watched her closely. She gave him one last smile, one that gave him reassurance that she would be okay; he knew though, that her smile was also full of pain. Her eyes gleamed with the salty liquid, but she held them back with an even better shine. It was then that he understood the long looks she had given him the previous days. She was promising him that she would return. She was promising him that she would always love him, no matter what happened. _

_And he remembered the last taste of her lips, when he had made his first move in public, when she assured him from her fiery passion that her heart was his to take and keep. _

"_Alright! Remember our mission statements!" _

_She only had a few seconds left, wishing she could buy more time. Neji knew she had something to say to him, but couldn't leave her position. In a split second, he appeared next to her, encouraging her with his eyes for her to say it when they still had time._

"_Neji...__I'll come back to you. I'll come back, and I'll be fine...I promise you Neji. I love you..." _

_She pulled on her ANBU mask over face, and waited for Tsunade's ready signal._

"_Good luck!"_

_The team disappeared in a cloud of smoke. _

* * *

He knew, after all these years, that she still loved him. He could feel her compassion, even though she still had yet to return from the mission. But there was an empty void in his heart that was created when she had left; one that loneliness had taken to fill. 

A stronger, fiercer breeze passed him by, bringing in a flurry of leaves. The crisp objects encircled him, as if they were a message from the gods above. He didn't make a move to catch any of them, knowing that just one, brilliant red leaf was enough. He felt a warmth emitted from the leaves before the breeze died, causing them to drift to the cold ground.

Taking a glance around him, a sigh escaped from his lips. For the past two years, it was impossible for him to feel happiness, especially in autumn. It was impossible for him to smile. In everything he did, he found resemblance to her. Whenever he unsheathed his katana in missions, images of her grace would come into his mind. Whenever he smelled the familiar scent of sesame balls, he would remember how much she loved that food. _  
_

He knew that if she had told him where she was going, he would have gone right after her. But he also knew that regardless, he should have searched for her, even if he had no clue where she was.

_Why didn't I go after her?_

He got up, bitterness encompassing him. He disappeared, and reappeared in his room, too dismal to take the time to walk back into the estate. Neji carefully picked up the leaf that sat gently on his bed, and walked over to the chair by his window.

He opened the window, a new, gentle breeze entering and gracing the Earth. He stared at the leaf with new, strong bitterness.

_Why..._

He crushed the leaf with his hand, and let the shattered pieces flow in the wind, the unfamiliar salty liquid dripping from his eyes.

_Why didn't I go after her?_

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so the ending was kind of angsty, but ... yeah. I assure you that Neji won't be sitting around and sulking in the next chapter! That's where all the action should start to pick up. I hope you enjoyed this one! 


	3. Start Chase

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 2 ** - Start Chase

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I hope this chapter fulfills my promise of action starting to pick up! If it doesn't, I'm sorry! I'll make it up in the next chapter. ;D

* * *

Neji awoke in the middle of the night; moonlight barely penetrating through his windows. He cursed the feeling of bitterness always greeting him whenever he woke up. He cursed not being able to get a full night's sleep, due to images of Tenten. He wondered why she had suddenly made an appearance in his trail of thought so suddenly; was that her eerie signal to him that something was wrong? 

His attention snapped to the rustling of the fierce winds outside, his eyes watching the enchanted leaves sway with the wind. He heard the crackling of the gentle objects, their forms being torn by the cutting wind. He wondered if his sudden connection to these autumnal symbols had any connection to Tenten. His eyes wandered to his dresser, and noticed the brilliant red leaf gone. It was then that he remembered the harsh bitterness he felt last night, and remembered shattering the fragile object and letting it flow with the wind.

His eyes widened when he heard her gentle voice ring through his ears. He turned, and saw her leaning against the door, a small smile present on her lips. Her skin glowed in the soft moonlight, giving her an ethereal, goddess-like air. Neji examined her, his eyes wandering from her panda ear buns; straight down to the sandals she wore on her feet. He noted that nothing had changed since he last saw her two years ago, and made a move to get up and touch her; her image faded before he had a chance to walk over and see her face.

Neji's heart fell with a heavy weight, loneliness and bitterness once again taking over his mind. The thought of him being insane and hallucinating was suddenly brought into question, but he knew that he was still a small ways off from losing his insanity. It seemed that even though she was making him insane, she was still the only thing to keep him from jumping off that cliff. She was the only thing was making him hold on from falling off the slippery edge. He grunted. What a paradox.

Unable to sleep any longer and take the emptiness of his room, Neji got out of bed for a midnight stroll. He made his way out of the estate quietly, and walked into the large Hyuuga gardens. He knew it wasn't the best place to stroll, especially with the winds fierce and strong, bringing flurries of autumn leaves every minute; but he paid no mind, it was a calming place where he could think.

* * *

_Neji began his way home back to the estate, paying no attention to his female teammate who was following him. He wondered why she tried so hard to get his attention in weird ways; after all, she was still a tomboy, and had some of that reputation to keep. He didn't stop to question her, nor did he stop to wait for her. He found it a waste of time to try to associate with her. He sensed though, that she had a strong feeling to talk to him, but found that her courage died down. He shrugged. Whether or not she was holding up to her tomboy reputation was none of his concern. _

"_...Neji?" _

_For some reason, he wondered why he shivered when he heard her voice. Perhaps because it was too gentle to be fitting. Or...perhaps it sounded like a song of an angel. Wait, did he just think that?_

_He stopped, waiting for her to catch up. When he felt her a few steps behind, he continued to walk. She continued to follow him, her pace remaining the same. When they reached an intersection, Neji waited. He was to go right, and she was to go left. What would she do then?_

"_...Neji?" _

_He waited patiently this time. _

"_Why are you so cold and distant?"_

_He felt his anger flare, and turned abruptly to stare at her. He saw her face letting off a curious air, her eyes wide and innocent. The flame slowly died down, but he glared at her, but she did not back down. Noticing that she was not intimidated by his famous glare that made his fan girls swoon, he decided to speak with her._

"_Fate. I do not need to associate myself with others. I will associate with them when I have to." _

_He noticed her eyes widen, and her lips form a small pout. He found that it was rather cute, but quickly shook that thought away. _

"_Fate is changeable. There are so many roads and doors to life. You choose which ones to walk and open. Not fate."_

_He stared at her._

"_I am a caged bird. My roads and doors have already been chosen for me. I do not have the luxury, nor the freedom, to choose my fate," he said stiffly._

_He noticed Tenten's eyes soften, and immediately wondered why she cared about him so much. They were only teammates. They were only sparring partners. They were nothing more. _

"_Then let me be the key." _

_Neji walked away, only giving her a surprised stare. Tenten stared at him as autumn leaves twirled around him. A painful smile was on her lips, and she turned to go on her way._

"_I wonder if you realized it, yet," she whispered._

_Her words were blown with the wind and autumn leaves._

* * *

Neji frowned, harsh bitterness filling the voids in his icy heart. He remembered how he had reacted to her sudden comment; he remembered how he wished he didn't storm away.

_It seems you did become my key. But did I choose the right path...?  
_

A small smile appeared on his lips, as another flurry of leaves passed him by. He was surprised, however, when he saw the Godaime appear when the flurry had gone.

"Tsunade-sama?" He asked, surprised.

The Hokage smiled at him, and motioned him to move closer.

"I heard the Hyuuga gardens were the best in the whole country. So I thought I'd see for myself."

She winked at him, and they began to take a midnight stroll.

"Tenten's reports have stopped coming in. I'm a bit worried."

He stared at the Hokage with wide eyes. He began to get increasingly worried about Tenten. What if all the eerie feelings he was picking up from the leaves was true?

"Her last message said that she would begin the infiltration the next day. She said they would be back in two weeks."

He slowed his pace for a second, but quickly returned it to normal. His heart fell with worry and concern for his teammate, and his lover. Tsunade sensed this, and stopped. She faced one of her best ANBU captains with a deep frown on her lips.

"I should probably tell you why you aren't with her right now."

His eyes widened. The Godaime prayed to the gods in heaven that she was doing the right thing.

"Tenten...she didn't want you to…die."

Neji clenched his fists tightly, using all his self-control and stoic air to keep from crying in front of Tsunade. The Godaime noticed this, and tried to put on a smile to attempt to cheer him up.

"Where is she?" Neji managed to say.

His voice was coarse, as if he hadn't spoken for years. Tsunade turned away from him, her eyes closely watching the trees shed their leaves. A gentle breeze arrived, a leaf dance beginning as the leaves swayed with the currents of the wind. She remained silent, contemplating on whether or not to tell him. She knew Tenten didn't want Neji to know that she was most likely going to die. The leaves slowly died, and with that, Tsunade closed her eyes. _Tenten is a brave girl_, she thought_. She did the village well._

"Well?"

The demanding voice of the man beside her made her open her eyes again, and her lips began to move.

"I do believe you know where the Village Hidden in the Snow is."

Neji's eyes widened. That was months away from Konoha, and the conditions there were harsh. There was also some leading suspicion and legend that one of Akatsuki's bases was stationed there. He also knew that some disowned Hyuuga members had moved there after Hiashi scared them away from Konoha.

Tsunade once again put on a pained smile, hoping to cheer the boy – no, young man – up. She turned to face him, and nodded her head in dismissal.

"Good night, Hyuuga."

Neji bowed with respect, and watched as the leaves twirled around from where she used to stand. His fists were clenched tightly; so tight that his palms began to trickle blood from so much pressure. He ran into his room, and grabbed his mission items, storing them in his backpack. He threw on his ANBU clothes, and grabbed his mask.

He ran back outside, out into the gardens. He stared at the trees, which were bending with the fierce winds. Blood was still trickling from his palms, and he made no move to stop the useless flow. Instead, he threw a kunai at the nearest tree, and knew Hinata would see it when she awoke.

He took one last gaze at the autumn flurry, and disappeared, leaves swirling where he had stood. He didn't notice a drop of blood land on a gerbera daisy beneath him.

_I'm coming after you, Tenten...I'll make it up to you..._**  
**

* * *

Hinata woke early the next morning, sensing something was wrong or missing. She took a quick shower, threw on her clothes, and walked out to the garden. This was always her first stop in the morning. It made her calm and ready for the surprises the new day could hold for her. She noticed shining metal on one of the trees, and quickly ran towards it. She recognized it as her cousin's, and examined it. Her eyes stared hard, but the corner of her eyes caught something. 

In a small part of near the tree where the kunai was impaled, was a tiny field of gerbera daisies. They were blooming in the autumn light, giving the Hyuuga garden a strong sense of autumn. It never surprised her when it made Neji, or even herself, feeling dismal due to the uncanny resemblance. She picked a specific one out of the ground, and noticed a small drop of blood on one of the petals.

_Gerbera daisies...mean innocence and loyal love..._

A small smile was on her face. It was then that she caught an awkward gleam at the kunai in her hand, and examined the sharp metal. There was a code engraved on it – one that her cousin and herself had established.

_Sky. _

Her smile grew wider as she gently held the bloodstained flower in her delicate hands.

_Hurry after her...nii-san._

She made her way back to the household, ready to get a vase for the stained flower to live. As she placed the flower in the cold water, she could swear she could hear her cousin's voice in her head.

* * *

_Tenten...I'm coming after you. _

_...I love you Tenten..._

_Please...please just wait for me..._

* * *

Hinata softly stared at the stained flower and smiled.

_She's waiting, nii-san._

* * *

**A/N: **So I'm kind of disappointed with how this turned out, but eh. It took me a while to figure out which flowers bloomed in autumn, and which had some significant/symbolic meaning. So I came up with gerbera daisies, hehe. I hope the symbolism I used was easy to get and not confusing. It's kind of hard for me to explain it – I just feel it's this unspoken understanding of it. XD 

Darn bad endings for chapters!


	4. Signs

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 3 – **Signs

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for all your reviews!

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura stood before their Hokage, watching her eyes and mood carefully. They saw the badly hidden sake bottles scattered all over her office, and knew something was up if she didn't bother to make Shizune get rid of them. They all waited impatiently, having just returned from a tiring, S-Ranked mission.

The Hokage still made no move to speak or look at them, merely acknowledging their presence with a nod. She was too caught in her thoughts to act politely.

"Tsunade-sensei, I don't mean to be rude, but...can you please hurry? We just got back from that mission, and Naruto needs some rest," Sakura gently said.

Sakura was careful not to mention Sasuke, knowing that he would rebuke her, and tell her that he was not tired, regardless of his very short patience. She let a loose smile play on her lips. It had been a year ago when Sasuke returned to Konoha. He was bloody and tired, his onyx eyes closed. Kakashi had found him near the forest when he was returning from a mission, and had instantly brought the missing Uchiha to safety within his old home. It took a while for the village to get used to seeing him, and took even longer to stop the nasty remarks he received from them.

He had undergone several trials under his charge of treason, and soon thereafter, was charged a month of probation, only able to stay within the confines of the old Uchiha manor. A specialized ANBU team watched over him carefully, and only allowed Sakura and Naruto to visit him. After his month was over, he retook his chuunin exams, passing without breaking a sweat.

Even with his curse mark gone, he was still able to maintain, and even surpass, the strength it had given him for the years he had relied on it. Soon after he became a Chuunin, he became a Jounin, and soon thereafter, an ANBU captain.

Sasuke noticed his teammate's small smile, and let a smirk pass through his stoic façade.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, Sakura-chan's righttt...we're all dead tired, and I need to see Hinata-chan," Naruto whined.

"That won't be necessary," Tsunade said, finally looking up at the three young adults before her, "she's right here."

At that very moment, three timid knocks were heard, and Hinata quietly walked in, her grace and poise amazing Sakura. Hinata blushed when she saw Naruto, and bowed respectfully to Tsunade, Sasuke, and Sakura. She walked towards Naruto, standing to his side. Naruto smiled.

"Well, I think Hinata can explain why you three are here," Tsunade said.

Hinata blushed, and let a small smile grace her pale lips.

"Neji-nii-san's gone."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, Sasuke's eyebrow rising. Hinata smiled in reply, and Sakura instantly understood why Hinata was not the least bit worried. Sasuke and Naruto, however, did not understand.

"Damn that Hyuuga," Sasuke cursed under his breath.

The lone Uchiha turned to Sakura, a deep frown present on his lips.

"He went to find Tenten, didn't he? And now we have to go find him, right?"

Sakura smiled and nodded.

"That's right, Sasuke-kun."

Naruto let off his foxy, trademark grin, making Hinata turn ten shades of red.

_It took him a while. _

The boy turned to his teammates and the heiress standing beside him.

_But then again..._

His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's gentle voice.

"When should we go after him?"

Tsunade looked at the team before her, and shook her head gently, a deep smirk on her lips.

"You're not only going to find him, you're going to be back-up, just in case Tenten failed her mission. You'll be leaving in a week. That way, if Tenten is in fact alive and on her way, you can provide her and the team with better cover."

They nodded, and were immediately dismissed. Naruto took one last look at his teammates, finishing his thought before making his way to Ichiraku for some nice, hot ramen.

_It took all of us a long time._

* * *

Neji looked up at the night sky, his pearl orbs gently watching the glittering diamonds aid the moon in lighting the earth. He had chosen a well-hidden spot in a dense forest and set many traps in case of intruders. He knew that such good hiding places would soon disappear when he entered snow country, and he had to stock up on as many sources as he could before the forest was gone.

Doing all his herb gathering earlier that day, he lay down on his sleeping bag, staring up at the dark night sky. A gentle breeze was continuous and calming, bring in arrays of enchanted leaves. His eyes slowly narrowed, watching the leaves dance and sway in the wind. He was slowly lulled to what seemed like an enlightened state of mind, the rustling of the leaves providing him with a bizarre lullaby.

His feeling of emptiness was slowly fading away; he knew it. Every step closer to the Village Hidden in the Snow, a tiny portion of emptiness was gone in his heart. He could almost feel elated, knowing that he was on his way to see his beloved. But he was still worried; Tenten didn't want him there with her, because she could _die. _Or frankly, she was _going _to die.

Neji winced, hating how so many emotions and feelings in life were always double-edged. He knew that with love came pain. He knew that with happiness came a price. He wondered what price he had to pay to be happy, thinking about why it had come so quickly and gone so fast, so fast it was like it wasn't even there. It then hit him; with the price of Tenten came his happiness. Tenten was the source of his happiness, and perhaps the mission and its outcome would be the price, and the consequences.

He shook that thought off. He knew that he had to pay many consequences; not only did he break fate and stray from it, he also broke the curse he was forced to bear as a Branch member. Many other Hyuuga Branch members were suffering from being caged birds, forced to live in dark prisons, only summoned when someone higher, _greater_ than them needed protection; and then they were cast off when finished, like old, worn rag dolls that were too ugly to see. He bit his lip. He knew he was lucky to have found a key for that cage, that prison. He was able to find sunlight, happiness, and freedom, with just one emotion: love.

Love. It was such an impeccable emotion, but came with so many stains and bruises. He remembered that many people, particularly Ino, always said how nice it felt to be in love. He remembered the Yamanaka explaining every thing she "loved" about the Uchiha, describing her love in perfect words and form. Neji, however, was inwardly disgusted when she claimed to love the avenger. Love does not have a form, nor is it explainable. It was mutual feeling between two people that can only be felt; it had so many different forms with so many different people that giving it a description were nearly impossible. He knew that love and being in love was always the talk of the town, but few people could understand the greatness and hardships of the feeling. Neji remembered a time when he felt that he _couldn't _love. He smirked at that thought.

* * *

"_Neji, do you like anyone?"_

_The Hyuuga looked at his female teammate with amusement and disgust, a smirk present on his pale lips. She was resting, using a tree as her support as she leaned against it to catch her breath. He waited patiently, knowing that she was the only valuable sparring partner there was in Konoha – at least one that he trusted enough._

"_I do not have time to like anyone, nor do I have the emotion to do so." _

_Tenten pouted, biting her lip cutely. She refused to believe that Neji did not like someone._

"_I'll take you up on that. Before we die, I'm going to remember to see you. I'll see if you have a wife, children, and a genuine smile on your face. If you do, I'll curse you forever." _

_Neji nearly smiled at that remark, but was able to narrow it down to a smirk, and stared at his teammate with amusement in his eyes._

* * *

Neji frowned. He remembered when he was so cold and cocky towards her. Now, he couldn't even imagine how he was able to do so. He had found himself someone so precious that it was impossible for him to imagine that he had pushed her farther and farther away without feeling _some _pain.

He averted his mind to the dark, starlit sky once more. His worries and pain began to slowly retreat to the back of his mind. He let a tiny upward curve of his lips happen, the stars seeming to shine on a bright path before him.

He turned to his side, seeing a faint image of Tenten lying next to him. She too, was looking up at the stars, amazed at their everlasting beauty. He saw her eyes shimmering, as if they were competing with the stars themselves. He could hear the faint whispers of her angelic voice. Neji reached over, but her image once again disappeared, his hand meeting with cold air.

Neji sighed, once again staring up at the stars. They were so gentle and calming at night, he was envious of the troubles they did not have to face. He was envious that they were able to watch everyone on Earth, knowing exactly what was happening. The familiar feeling of bitterness was welling up inside him once more.

Gentle snow began to fall as a gentler breeze began to blow. Leaves were twirling and dancing with the wind, some getting weighed down from the fresh snow. They danced around him, taunting him with their beauty and resemblance. Neji caught a red-orange leaf gently; as if it were a fragile life he was holding in the palm of his hand. He held it up next to the brightest star in the sky, comparing the two beauties and wonders.

_The leaf..._

He smiled. The leaf was more beautiful to him, knowing that it was the one thing that he felt resembled Tenten the most. She was life a leaf, forever changing, changing her colors quickly, and able to snap. They were fierce in their own way, and held dances and elegance that only they could accomplish. He inwardly nodded.

_Yes, Tenten is like a leaf..._

He held the brilliant leaf up, for the gentle breezes to take it and twirl it around for as long as it could withstand. At that split moment, a fierce turbulence snapped the leaf into pieces. Neji sat up quickly, gathering the shattered fragments in his palms.

_Tenten...are you okay?_

He looked at the stars once more, the shattered fragments gently glowing from the moonlight. He closed his eyes, searching for answers within his mind.

_What does this mean?_

He stared at the fragments once more, and let the gentle winds take them away, their pieces combining and separating at the wind's whim. He lay down and closed his eyes, looking for a gentle slumber.

Soon, he was lulled to sleep by the rustling of the leaves.

* * *

**A/N: **Ack. I don't like this chapter. At all. Anyway, next chapter will be more Neji and Tenten-centric. What happened to Tenten? Where is she now? Ohh, aren't you excited? Muwahaha.

(In other words, I'll try really hard to make it up for what this chapter seriously lacked. And that's a lot. So...whoot!)


	5. Sliver

**A Thousand Miles  
**_written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 4 – **_Sliver_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for all your reviews!  
I really appreciate it :D

* * *

Tenten sat in the familiar darkness, cold, fierce breezes drifting through the tiny holes in her cell. She hadn't been fed in days, and her strength was quickly diminishing. Her chestnut eyes stared up at the damp ceiling, wishing she could see the cerulean sky and the stars just once more before she passed away. Tears began to well in her eyes, her will trying its hardest to make them stop. It failed, however, and the sticky liquid rolled down her cheeks, hot and fresh, stinging her skin and lips. 

_Neji..._

Her heart ached just thinking about him. She thought about his perfect hair and skin, his strength, his power. She knew he had so many faults to him, especially when he was arrogant and cocky. But she knew more than anything, that if he was anything different, he wouldn't be the man she loved with all her heart.

_Neji..._

Her heart ached for him; she longed to be back in the sunny streets of Konoha. She didn't like the cold winters and summers that Snow Country had. Her delicate fingers traced the gold locket that hung around her neck; he had given it to her for her nineteenth birthday. She never really understood why he had given it to her, but when had confessed soon, she smiled, and never took the locket off. She found it her hope in training and battles, and her strength when she was feeling week. All she needed to do was trace the engraving on the back of the heart: _I love you._

She smiled. She knew that the only thing he was able to show in public was that one kiss and embrace; she knew that he didn't have enough trust in everyone else to show him or her. But she didn't care; his weird ways of caring for her was enough to keep her going. She knew she was being constantly watched whenever she was in radius of his Byakugan; she knew he was the only thing that was keeping the perverts away from her. And she knew that he was the only person that could take the bitter feeling loneliness away.

Her chestnut eyes once again stared up at the damp ceiling. _Loneliness. _It was probably the most familiar feeling she had, other than love. It was there when her family had died, there when she had to eat dinners alone, and there when she had no friends. But she knew that it was taken away when she had met her team. Lee and Gai with their childish, annoying but refreshing antics, and Neji...helping her to grow stronger.

Tenten remembered the days when they had sparred together. She remembered when she collapsed from exhaustion so many times, but got up to make sure that Neji got his fill of training. She remembered how it was so hard for her to get up when she knew she would just get beaten again. It took her so long to understand that Neji accomplishing his life's goals was the only thing that could make her happy in life. He had provided her with such unique securities that she knew she would never be able to pay him back for what he's given her.

Salty tears fell from her eyes once more, cleaning her dirty cheeks and stinging her chapped lips. If only she had told him the bleak fate of the mission. She knew that it would save her from guilt. She couldn't let Neji die, trying to infiltrate the Akatsuki headquarters. She couldn't let him waste his life away, when he tried so hard to climb out of his dark, caged prison.

* * *

_Tenten walked stiffly into the Hokage's office, her eyes tired from sleepless nights. Tsunade had summoned her a week ago, telling her of a S-Ranked mission. Tsunade warned that there was a very high chance that Tenten could be killed, along with Neji and her teammates. _

_The fact that Neji could die before her eyes was what was causing her inability to sleep. She couldn't stand watching, or facing, the horrors of his death. She knew she couldn't._

"_So, have you decided?" The Godaime asked. _

_Tenten's tired gaze stared at the Godaime. Tsunade knew of Tenten's unconditional love for Neji, and had decided to give her a choice to save him. She told her that she would not inform Neji, or anyone else but the accompanying team, about the mission until she decided. The choice was Tenten's: take on the mission with her team, raising their chances of death and failure, and let Neji live, or take Neji with them, and perhaps make it out alive._

_  
Tenten knew that Neji could never die, at least not on a mission, but unexpected things like that happened, and knew she couldn't face it if she had to. _

"_Yes...I'll go by myself..." _

_Tsunade looked at Tenten, sorrow in her eyes. She knew the pain of losing a loved one. She could understand why Tenten had chosen what she had. _

"_You'll be infiltrating Akatsuki. Are you sure?" _

_Tenten let a loose smile play on her lips._

"_Better me to die than him." _

_With a respectful bow, Tenten disappeared. Tsunade stared out of her office window, watching the trees show the first signs of autumn. She sighed. The Leaf Village has lost so many good ninja over the years, she thought. _

* * *

Tenten sighed at the memory, bitterness biting at her heart. She knew, however, that if she had the choice to turn back time and take Neji with her, or let history remain as it was, she would let it remain. She couldn't take Neji dying, at least not yet. He still had such a long, promising life ahead of him, and she couldn't take that away from him. 

Tenten heard the rusting of leaves outside of her dark cell, wishing she could see the beautiful flurries of red, orange, and yellow. Out of all the seasons, autumn was her favorite. It was a season of change, an active, calming one. The gentle, warm colors of the shedding leaves provided people with serenity, tranquility. Her heart began to well in bitterness at not being able to see such beautiful scenery. She was nearly losing herself in the darkness and loneliness of the cell.

If only she wasn't so stupid...

* * *

_Tenten and her team had arrived in Snow Country in record time: 2 weeks in a journey that could take months. They were able to make it to the village in another week, and were soon carrying out their mission. It took them a few months to gather information as to if there was an Akatsuki headquarters, and where it was. Soon, with a few pawns and sources, they were able to gather that the headquarters was in the Kage tower, where the mysterious Akatsuki leader was playing the Snow's Kage as a pawn._

_It was decided that they would infiltrate the headquarters quickly and carefully, leaving nobody who saw them alive. Their sources have also reported that the Akatsuki members were previously dispatched, giving them a good chance that no skilled ninja would be there. Soon, they plotted when the infiltration would begin._

_Soon, it was the day of the infiltration. Their plans were carefully planned and plotted, making it foolproof to any ninja below A-Rank. However, they did not notice one fault: they had completely trusted their sources, and had made no room for error. These Akatsuki members were S-Ranked criminals. Their minds could outwit anyone._

_Tenten had split up from the rest of the team, as they decided it would be best to cover more ground and meet in front of the leader's chambers. She was careful in not making any noise, and concealing her chakra so it was like she wasn't even there. She was surprised, however, when out of nowhere, an unfamiliar Hyuuga appeared. They carried the Byakugan, their headbands nowhere to be seen. Tenten soon fought with the Hyuuga, thankful for her tiring spars with Neji. She beat him without breaking a sweat. The racket this caused, however, had sent more Hyuuga flying her way._

_She wondered where so many of them came from; were they disowned? Perhaps abandoned or betrayed? _

"_Why, hello." _

_Tenten immediately turned around at the chilling voice, and was instantly met with none other than Uchiha Itachi. His Sharingan were twirling, a twisted smile on his face. Before she was able to pick up any movement, she felt strong pain in her pressure points, and fainted._

* * *

_I could have sensed him..._

She frowned. If she weren't so caught up fighting those nasty Hyuuga, she would have been able to sense him coming. And now here she was, sitting in a dark cell, unable to see the beautiful scenery outside, unable to return home.

She felt another fierce, cold breeze make its way through the tiny holes of her cell, making her shiver with cold and hunger. She crawled towards the closest hole, and was able to look outside through the tiny outing. She was able to see the elegant flurries of the autumn leaves, tears once again rolling down her eyes.

_Neji..._

She used the light from the tiny hole to stare at her glittering, gold locket. Her delicate fingers once again traced the engraved writing, tears spilling onto the brilliant surface. She stared out through the tiny hole again, enchanted by the leaves' flurries.

_Neji..._

She gripped her locket tightly in her palms, blood slowly spilling from them from so much pressure. A small hint of blood dripped onto the gold surface.

_Please save yourself..._

She frowned, fresh tears running down from her eyes.

_Please...don't come for me..._

* * *

**A/N: **Yes! Finally a Tenten-centric chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one.  
Angst angst!  



	6. Nightmare

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 5 **– _Nightmare_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N**: MUWAHAHAHAH!

* * *

Neji silently stared at the winter's flurry before him. The calm, changing season of autumn had gone and passed, the arrays of red, orange, and yellow disappearing beneath a blanket of white snow. The forest that he had gathered all necessities for his long journey was long behind him, his backpack full of valuable herbs and medicines. In front of him was a long, endless journey in Snow Country, where the endless sheets of falling snow could easily falter his sense of direction, but he paid no mind to the dangers. He knew more than anything that he would eventually find his way to Tenten. She was his _everything, _and he couldn't bear to lose a chance to get her back. 

_He had to save her. _

* * *

Tsunade gazed outside of her office window, watching a light blanket of rare snow fall onto Konoha's surface. It was rare to see snow fall in the Land of Fire; usually, it was too warm in winter for snow to fall. Papers were scattered all over her office, old books piled on her desk. Her office nearly reeked of sake, though the bottles were well hidden this time. 

"Tsunade-sensei?"

The gentle voice brought her from the wonderland forming right outside her office walls. Her chestnut eyes gazed at the four ninja before her, their eyes gently gazing at her with respect.

"Ah. As you know, it's been a week since Neji left," The Godaime said.

The four ninja before her nodded, their eyes longing to watch the winter flurry taking on outside of the walls. Their patience was better than what it was when they were first summoned; this time they had a whole week's rest from tiring missions. But they knew that making the long journey to Snow Country in the midst of winter was not the wisest move to make.

"Your departure solely depends on your whim," she stated.

Four pairs of eyes widened in surprise, wondering why they were giving such liberty to choose when to depart. The Hokage, in turn, gazed at them peacefully, a smug look present on her face.

"Why are we given this freedom, Tsunade-sensei?" Sakura asked.

The kunoichi's tutor looked at her student gently, her eyes softening at sight of her precious student. Sakura has blossomed since she first took her in, and it was a motherly feeling to see her strength and abilities reach this level.

"I can't afford to lose any of you," She said, a small hint of regret present in her voice, "Neji, Tenten...and the team, I think that's enough to lose."

Hinata whispered inaudible words, but Naruto smiled, and urged her to speak louder.

"If you have something like _that _to say, Hinata-chan, you should say it louder," Naruto said.

Hinata blushed at his kind words, and turned to her Hokage.

"I...I think it's...it's too early to call...Neji-nii-san and Tenten-san...and their team...to be lost, Hokage-sama," she said.

Tsunade took in Hinata's words, a smile appearing on her face after processing them over and over. Tsunade opened her eyes, once again gazing at the four ninja before her. Not only had Sakura blossomed, all of them had as well.

Her eyes wandered to Naruto, his cerulean orbs piercing and lively just as she remembered them to be when they had first met. His strength and intelligence was growing, but his perky personality hadn't changed one bit. She smiled at him. She knew that with a few more years of work, he could be the next Hokage, and he could create an even greater legacy that the former Hokages had left behind.

"That's true."

They all sat in silence, the gentle snow seeming to let off a loose melody. Sakura and Hinata closed their eyes, their minds wandering in the tranquility of winter. Sasuke and Naruto just stared at them blankly, and shrugged indifferently, their gazes once again averting to the Hokage before them.

"I have an idea," Naruto said.

Sakura and Hinata's eyes opened, their gentle orbs staring at him. Naruto felt Sasuke's hard and mocking onyx eyes staring curiously, and Tsunade's demanding gaze asking him to continue.

"How about Hinata-chan and I dispatch off towards Snow Country first, and Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan following us a week later? That way we could offer Tenten and Neji better cover if they do return."

Everyone's eyes widened. It wasn't everyday that Naruto sounded smart.

"Well, Hinata?"

Hinata's light lavender eyes moved to her Hokage, a faint smile present on her pale lips. She nodded slowly.

"H-hai. I-I think Naruto-kun's idea will work best."

Tsunade nodded, and her gaze averted to the remained two ninja. Not needing to exchange words, they also nodded in agreement.

"Good luck, then."

With Tsunade's final words, the four disappeared.

* * *

Neji traveled quickly through the intense conditions. His Byakugan could see through the flurries, and his stamina was enough to rival with Sasuke's. His energy was enough to get him a week away from the village, and his food supply was more than enough. He was well prepared to get Tenten back. 

His willpower and determination was enough to kill off all mankind if he had to. He _needed _Tenten. He needed to save her. He could feel danger looming about her, and he didn't like the ominous feelings he had received earlier. All he needed for his life to be complete was _her, _her smiling face, her unique elegance and grace, and her stubborn yet bubbly attitude.

_She completed him. _

After hours of traveling through the country, night came upon the Land of Snow. Neji found a safe place to burrow in the snow, traps set feet deep under the thick blankets. He did his best to keep himself warm, trying his hardest to not drift off into a deep slumber. He knew that falling asleep in the snow could kill someone.

He closed his eyes, letting his tired orbs rest. His mind began to make its way into a state of meditation, temporarily forgetting all his troubles and worries. He was just like winter, after all.

His strength was just like the fierce, winter storms; able to destroy anything it wanted to destroy. There was never a limit to how strong the storms were; they just kept breaking records, never finding an end to their power. Yet after the ferocity of a storm came a time of tranquility of peace, the gentle blankets of snow seeming to let off a song of nostalgia. This song of nostalgia seemed to provide the Hyuuga with bizarre securities, helping him fend off the daily troubles of daily life.

Winter and autumn were together, Neji reasoned. Autumn was able to provide unique senses of serenity and tranquility; yet it was able to snap and unleash a powerful force. It was a graceful season of change, the flurries of warm colors seeming to prepare for a season of sorrow. Its grace and elegance was able to tame the ferocity and strength of winter.

_Tenten was able to make loneliness simmer away, bringing light into the dark cage..._

Neji closed his mind away from wandering thoughts, the gentle snow lulling him to light slumber.

_Tenten..._

He began to dream, his mind and soul taken far away from the world of troubles and worries...

_Tenten..._

Her image appeared in his mind, her gentle face showing her elegance and simple beauty.

_Tenten..._

The same brilliant, red leaf that he had shattered flew past her gentle face, swayed and twirled by the calm autumn winds.

_I..._

In a split second, a fierce turbulence shattered the brilliant red leaf, its pieces turning into drops of blood. Tenten's face grew bloody, her eyes weary and tired.

_Neji..._

She whispered her name, pain in her whispers. Her mouth began to move, but Neji awoke in a cold sweat, his eyes frantically searching.

_Tenten?_

* * *

**A/N: **Muwaha! So, I wasn't able to update for the past two days cause I was off on a trip. Soo, I'm back now! So, this chapter really doesn't have much relevance to the storyline, other than Naruto's plan, and Neji's little nightmare. Can anyone guess what Tenten was going to say before he woke up? –winkwink- 

Thanks for your reviews, guys, and sorry for the short (and rushed) chapter. xD :)


	7. Reflex: Danger

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 6 – **_Reflex: Danger_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.  
**A/N: **Whoot! Thanks for all your wonderful support and reviews! I really appreciate it :)

* * *

Neji quietly stared at the village before him. The continuous, gentle snowfall had left little effect on the village; it was completely built upon its position, and therefore was able to stand the snow, and able to keep its streets and buildings maintained, even in the harshest blizzards. At the moment, the snow was gently falling, allowing a time of tranquility and joy for all ages. Neji's pearl orbs wandered left to right, scanning the village. 

_It wasn't anything out of the ordinary..._

* * *

Tenten's eyes snapped open, her whole body aching, her mind swirling. Her chestnut orbs frantically searched through the darkness, feeling that there was something that wasn't there before. She didn't feel any unfamiliar chakra, or any nearby.

_W...what am I doing?_

Her mind frantically searched for answers as it swirled. Her eyes began to slowly droop shut, her head throbbing with pain. Her delicate fingers once again traced the words on the back of her golden locket to find strength within her diminishing power.

_N...Neji?_

Her fingers traced the engravings once again, and her mind instantly stopped swirling. Her head and body ached from her lack of nutrition, but she got up from her place on the cold floor nonetheless. She found her newfound strength, realization hitting her, making her body immune to her current pain.

_No...damn it, no! _

Her mind raced to find a way out of her prison. The shackles around her ankles and wrists had long been removed, the deep scars and dried blood still present where they had been. Her body screamed at her for making such a sudden stand, and she fell to the floor, her legs weak. Tenten paid no attention to her new injuries, forcing her legs to cooperate with her. She stood once again, and began wandering in the darkness, trying to find the way out.

_Tenten..._

Her eyes began shining with the salty liquid that she had become so familiar with, Neji's harsh whispers bringing back memories she had thought she'd stored away for her own protection.

_Tenten..._

His harsh whisper once again reverberated through her head and through her heart, making echoes and impressions all over her body. She knew that what she had tried to avoid had happened; Neji came after her. Tears began to spill down her dirty face as his whispers grew louder and louder. Her hand tightly cupped her locket, blood slowly oozing from the wound she had caused a week earlier.

Her legs continued moving automatically, her mind trapped in confusion and despair. Neji was _here, _to save _her, _so shouldn't she be happy? She shook her head painfully, her eyes still frantically searching for a source of light. Neji was going to _die_.

_...Why...why did he have to...keep his...promise?_

More tears fell from her eyes as she remembered his very words...

* * *

_Tenten..._

_...I promise...if you ever leave me..._

_...I promise I'll walk a thousand miles to get you if I have to..._

_I love you._

* * *

Tenten froze, her senses picking up large amounts of chakra. Her body began trembling with fear and cold, her eyes wishing they could see through the endless abyss of darkness. She felt a cold hand touch her bare shoulders, sending tremors through her body. 

"Who...who are you...?" She managed to spit out.

She saw a man emerge from the darkness, his own body providing a source of light in the darkness. Her eyes burned at the unfamiliar shine, and she snapped them shut to keep them from getting harmed.

"_I think you'd know me...if I'd introduce myself..." _

Her heart began racing faster and faster. The voice was so familiar, but she couldn't lay a finger on it. Curious, her eyes snapped open, to be faced with a familiar sight that she had forgotten long ago. The man before her smiled wickedly at her, and did a technique she was so familiar with. She began to slowly fall to the ground, her head and mind screaming in agony, tears following her falling body.

_N...Neji..._

Her heart cried out as her mind was met with darkness.**  
**

* * *

Neji's eyes snapped open, his Byakugan instantly activating. He carefully searched everything that his Byakugan could pick up, from chakra levels to the people that walked by. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he returned his concentration to the new, hot, steamy ramen bowl in front of him. He continued to eat, his Byakugan still carefully activated. 

While his stomach digested the incoming food, his mind began to wander, questioning his sudden reflex to activate his Byakugan. He had heard nothing out of the ordinary, nor had he sensed anything out of place. He wondered what could have made his natural and honed instincts suddenly snap up out of the blue.

Neji finished his ramen, paid, and walked out of the booth. Snow once again began to cover his body, a thin blanket forming over the newly paved streets. Children were laughing and enjoying the snow, all playing together as if nothing was wrong in the world. Neji envied them for their childhood innocence, hoping that their happiness wasn't destroyed by fate and by horrible circumstances. He smirked.

_It doesn't matter about your past when you have the present to worry about..._

Neji stared at the falling snow, a distant memory returning to the front of his mind...**  
**

* * *

_Neji sat in the back of the classroom, his eyes piercing, his mood gloomy. It was the first day of the academy, and the unfamiliar students had already taken a disliking towards him. Well, he wouldn't really call it disliking; perhaps the real word should be 'bullying'. He thought them to be fools. They thought his eyes were scary, abnormal, and out-of-this-world. He sneered at the stupidity. Had they never _heard _of _**the** _Hyuuga clan? They were one of the most prestigious clans of Konoha!_

"_Look at him!" He heard the girls whisper._

"_He looks like a __**girl! **__I bet he's weak!" He heard the boys whisper._

_His eyebrow twitched in irritation. If Hiashi weren't always over his back, he would have kicked these kids right out of the room. He paid them no mind though. He was used to being made fun of, cast off, and left in a corner to rot. That was what the Main family did to the cursed Branch members. _

"_What's she doing?" _

_His eyebrow rose with interest. The girls were actually talking about someone else. He turned his head from the window, and was met with a tiny, delicate hand._

"_I'm Tenten."_

_He blankly stared at the girl in front of him. She was that girl that had no parents, and was living alone. He wondered if she understood how he felt. After a few quick moments of hesitation, he shook her tiny hand._

"_**Hyuuga **__Neji."_

_He made emphasis on his last name. He knew everyone heard.**  
**_

* * *

_The next few days, Neji found himself growing closer to the Tenten girl. He found that she was actually very strong, regardless of all the girls picking on her. She had good aim, as he found out when they were learning how to properly throw weapons, and she was perky and friendly when someone got to know her well enough. He learned that she was a very good listener, and that she didn't know where her remaining family was._

"_Neji?"_

_The said boy turned around to face her, his happiness long gone. He was sitting alone in a field far away from the Hyuuga estate, tears not flowing from his eyes. Instead, his heard was encompassed with bitterness. Tenten stared at him with pity and sorrow._

"_What's wrong?"_

_He turned away from her, not wanting his only friend to seem him like this._

"_Get away from me."_

_She complied.**  
**_

* * *

_The next years, Neji had forgotten all the happiness he had spent with Tenten. Tenten didn't mind, knowing that if he really wanted to speak with her, he would. But he never did. _

_When they were placed on the same cell, their relationship seemed to start off from the beginning, with a rocky start. Tenten couldn't innocently place a hand in front of him and expect him to shake it. Instead, she spoke to him._

"_Neji."_

_He gave her a look, acknowledging her presence._

"_You shouldn't worry about the past when you have the present to worry about." _

_She gave him an innocent smile, and pulled out her kunai._

"_Let's spar."_**  
**

* * *

Neji smirked. He remembered how hard it was for her to regain his trust. 

_Neji..._

His Byakugan activated, her whispers reverberating through his mind. He stared around him frantically, his eyes only catching the joyous children on the streets.

_Tenten?_

He frowned. There it was again – that weird reflex that made his Byakugan activate. It was a reflex he had honed with so many spars with Tenten, and only snapped on when he felt Tenten was in danger. He wondered why it was reacting now – he hadn't seen, nor heard from Tenten personally, until that day two years ago.

He remembered the shattered fragments of the brilliant red leaf, and his bitter nightmare a week before. His mind began wandering through memories and places, words and phrases, hoping to find a hint of a clue to what was going on. He shook the weird feeling off, and walked to the inn, hoping to get a good night's rest.

* * *

Neji lay in a light slumber, his eyes ever watching his surroundings. He felt a peace; the snow made no noise when it was just falling down onto the Earth. He was lulled into a state of sleeping tranquility; his eyes were resting, but they were still wide-awake. It was a skill only the best ninja had perfected. 

Once more, he jolted up into a sitting position, his Byakugan once again activated. His eyes searched his room frantically, and again found nothing there.

_What's...what's happening?_

It was then that he heard a cry of agony reverberate through his body.

He realized it to be Tenten.

* * *

_Neji...please...forgive me..._

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry I updated so late. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
Who is that mystery member of the Akatsuki? Is Tenten alright? What's Neji going to do?  
Find out in the next episode of NARUTO BALL Z!Haha, just kidding! But I do hope to answer those questions in the next chapter :) 

Thanks for reading!


	8. Erased

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 7 – **_Erased_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.  
**A/N: **Sorry for the sorta-late update! Thanks for your reviews and support :)

* * *

_...Where am I?_

Tenten's eyes slowly fluttered open, the sunlight stinging them with its bright rays. She groaned. Her head was throbbing with pain. She found herself in a room full of white; white walls, white sheets, white floor. She found that it somewhat resembled an asylum, without that pads and the straight jacket.

"_Well, it looks like you're finally awake."_

Tenten's head snapped towards the familiar voice, and found the familiar face staring at her with a wicket glint in his eyes. She wanted to remember who he was, but every time, pain shot into her head.

"Wh...who the hell are you?"

The man shrugged indifferently, a cocky smirk plastered on his lips. Tenten glared, and already hated him. The face, the structure, the eyes – they were all so familiar to her, but she couldn't remember. She knew that he knew her somehow, but she wanted to know why.

"_Again, I'm sure you'd remember me if I allowed you to." _

Her eyes carefully watched him as he took a seat at the foot of her bed, his piercing eyes mocking her weak state. Tenten nearly doubled over from the extreme migraine in her head.

"_It seems your beloved can't seem to put a finger to where you are, Tenten."_

His eyes again mocked her, his smirk growing into a twisted smile. She could see her confusion, and felt even better that his forbidden jutsu worked.

"Who...is that?"

Tenten carefully stared at him, watching his every move. She could remember almost everything – Konoha, her past days being a ninja, her mission; but what she couldn't remember was that shady figure in her memories that was everywhere she went. She could remember the warmth she felt from the figure, but his body was too shaded to for her to recognize him. She guessed that this person was her 'beloved'.

"_Oh, it's not a concern if you've forgotten."_

Tenten clenched her fists tightly. This man was ticking her off; even Sasuke Uchiha wasn't as arrogant as the man before her. She gasped as he suddenly leant forward and snatched off a necklace that she hadn't known was around her neck. He hid what it looked like from view, smirked, and disappeared. Tenten stared at thin air, the gentle winter rays bringing in a bit of warmth into her cold room.

The man that had just confronted Tenten was walking down the hallways of Akatsuki's secret base. A giant smirk was plastered on his face, his ruffled brown hair and chestnut eyes gleaming in the rare winter sun. The necklace was hanging around his wrist, the gold shine glittering as if it still held all the promise in it.

_Good thing I remembered this thing, _the man thought, bringing the necklace to eye level, watching it swing. _If she saw this, my jutsu would have certainly worn off._

His smirk once again turned into a large, twisted grin, and his maniacal laughter reverberated through the cold, empty hallways.

_Sorry, Konoha. My sister is __**mine, **__and I can't stand having her in love. _

His head turned to face Tenten's faraway room, his eyes gleaming with insane pleasure.

_She needs to be miserable for what she's done._**  
**

* * *

Neji began walking through the peaceful streets of the Village Hidden in the Snow, his eyes hard and menacing. He had heard Tenten's _real _voice last night, and damn it, he was going to _find _her. His Byakugan were on, piercing through every object that came within his radius. All the villagers were scared of his menacing aura; they hadn't seen _anyone _as determined (or scary) as he. His unfamiliar eyes made them wonder, but they had already seen some who had the same orbs, and shrugged the feeling off. 

Neji's menacing aura grew larger when he remembered the rumor that disowned Hyuuga lived around here. He should have asked Hiashi about that before he left; he could have gotten rewarded for spying, or something of that sort. He wondered if any would remember him; he shook that feeling off. Those that would remember him would have to be old, as no recent Hyuuga have been disowned since Neji could remember.

He groaned. His mind was in chaos, his heart was aching for no apparent reason, and he was _cold. _Hyuuga Neji was in a bad mood, and when he was in bad moods, it didn't work out so well for the people around him. The only person who could keep him out of his rampage was Tenten, and she wasn't in his sight. He inwardly growled. He cursed.

Yep, Hyuuga Neji was in a _very _bad mood.**  
**

* * *

Hinata and Naruto bid their last good-byes to Sasuke and Sakura, wishing them luck when they followed them soon after. They slipped on their ANBU masks and disappeared with the falling snow. Sakura stared at their footprints, a faint smile on her face. 

"Wanna make a bet with me, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke's eyebrows raised, his interest and small smirk urging her to continue.

"By the time we catch up with Naruto, he's going to realize how dense he was and fall in love with sweet, innocent Hinata-chan?"

Sasuke's smirk grew wider, his eyes mocking his eternal rival.

"He won't realize it until they're put into an embarrassing situation."

Sakura's eyebrow raised, her mind thinking. She knew that Sasuke was nearly on her side on this one, but it seemed that he was betting that it would take Naruto longer than that.

"If that doesn't happen, let's set them up."

"I'm _not _Yamanaka, Sakura," Sasuke said indifferently, a light glare thrown her way.

Sakura giggled and shrugged her shoulders indifferently, beginning to make her way towards her apartment. Sasuke caught up with her, a light scowl on his face. How _dare_ she make _him_ set two people up! Sakura caught his scowl, and laughed wholeheartedly, gaining her an even deeper scowl.

"_Fine. _I'll do it on my own, but you'll get to miss out on using this to blackmail Naruto in the long run."

"...Count me in."

Sakura laughed once more, her smile seeming to make the cold winter warmer and brighter. It seemed that Sasuke wasn't so bad, after all.**  
**

* * *

Hinata and Naruto swiftly jumped through trees, their intense chakra training making it possible for them to use minimal chakra for maximum efficiency. Only the Rookie 9 and Team Gai were able to master the technique, making them one of the best batches Konoha's produced yet. Hinata smiled. It was only a little amount of time before Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto gained the title they most deserved – Sannin. 

None of the others minded, anyway. They knew that what the team had gone through was far more than any of them had gone through combined. Sasuke left, leaving Sakura emotionally unstable for so long, which left Naruto to grow stronger to knock some sense into the boy. Then, when Sasuke had returned, it was hard for them to actually accept him, especially after they had _just _been getting closer to Sai. Their strengths were nearly primed in emotional, mental, and physical. Years of training, instabilities, and impossible missions did that for them. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura well deserved the title Sannin – not the others.

"Hinata-chan?"

Hinata's gaze drifted towards her lifelong crush, her pale lips formed into a soft smile. She had long since stopped her stuttering (with intense training, thanks to Sakura, Ino, and Tenten), but was still unable to keep her intense blush down to a light pink.

"Hai, Naruto-kun?"

"Don't you feel that something is wrong?"

His cerulean orbs pierced through her lavender ones, their gentle and lively eyes meeting in a clash. Hinata hid her precious orbs from view, her mind digging into her emotions and heart. Her eyes widened when she felt that butterflies were all over her stomach.

"H-hai...I-...I don't like it."

Naruto nodded, his eyes averting their gaze from hers, instead watching what was in front of them. Hinata softly stared at the sky.

_Neji-nii-san?_**  
**

* * *

Tenten quietly got out of bed, her headache still making her mind swirl with pain. She had fully cleaned and healed herself, as all her belongings were mysteriously in the room. She packed all of her things carefully and quietly, making sure that all her necessary items were within her grasp if needed. She tiptoed over to the doorway, gently opening the door. She was going to sneak out of this place; she didn't like that weird guy that had given her the major headache. 

"_Oh? Where are you going?"_

Tenten cursed. It seemed that she was under surveillance twenty-four/seven. She inwardly groaned, and put on her most innocent smile and her puppy eyes.

"Oh, nowhere, Onii-chan!" She nervously said, hoping that calling him her brother cutely would make an impact.

She was surprised when she saw his eyes falter for a split second, but was soon gone with a deep scowl. It seemed that calling him Onii-chan _did _work.

"_Then what were you doing with all of your things within grasping distance?"_

His menacing voice warned her to back off, but she persisted.

"I just wanted to look around, Onii-channn!"

She pouted. Maybe if she played the role of cute, little sister, he would stand down. But she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she would fail and be shot down. He _was _part of Akatsuki after all.

"_Don't call me that," _the man hissed.

Tenten shrugged.

"_You will stay in this room until I tell you that you can leave!"_

"I don't have to listen to you," she growled.

"_Then I will make you."_

His long fingers jammed onto her pressure points, and she fell to the ground, doubling over in pain.

"Damn it. I'll get you back for this."

The door slammed in his face.**  
**

* * *

The man once again walked down the hallways, his scowl putting the Uchiha _and _the Hyuuga to shame. His chestnut orbs pierced anything they had laid eyes upon. 

_I will make you suffer, sister. _

He let loose another maniacal laugh that reverberated through the hallways.

_You owe me much more than your life._**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading, and sorry for updating a day later than I'm used to! Twas my dad's birthday yesterday. :)  
So...this chapter is kind of disappointing. Anyway, in case it was confusing, the man – or rather, Tenten's brother – used a jutsu that made her forget her most precious memory (kind of like Tsubasa, yeah? I don't own Tsubasa, by the way :) But this storyline is indeed not going to be an epic adventure of finding feathers or anything like that. Tenten just lost her most precious memory, tis all.) 

But, I think I'll be having a time skip of...3 weeks? Haha. So if that DOES happen...

When will Hinata, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura reach Snow Country? What's up with Tenten's sadist brother?  
When will Neji see Tenten again? What will _happen _if the two are reunited?

Find out soon!


	9. Replay

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 8 – **_Replay_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thank you all for your support and reviews! I'd like to thank **too-much-romance** for catching all my grammar errors. XD

Also, in reply to **xoxBra's Unrequited Romancexox, **there is going to be some SasuSaku and NaruHina. :)

And all of you reviewers who are still reading from the start:D  
Thanks you guys, I really appreciate your feedback and all.  
-lovelove-**  
**

* * *

Neji stared up at his ceiling, his eyes full of longing and concern. It had been three weeks since the day he had heard Tenten's voice, and her presence was still unknown. He wondered where in the world – or in the village – she could be; the Snow was not an easy village to be found it, but it wasn't hard to search, either, especially with his Byakugan. His eyes turned to the window, his pearl orbs watching as a furious blizzard passed. 

It was two weeks ago that Naruto and Hinata had arrived. They arrived in the midst of a fierce blizzard, their bodies visibly shaking from the sheer cold. Neji had seen them wandering, Hinata's Byakugan activated, most likely searching for him. He greeted them quickly, and ushered them to his room in the inn. He still had to protect Hinata after all. They informed him that Sasuke and Sakura would arrive a week later, if they weren't caught in any furious storms like they had. The two also asked about Tenten, but Neji found that replying would only cause more pain. Hinata softly smiled at him when he had turned his head away.

Naruto and Hinata took the room next to his. He wasn't particularly comfortable with the thought of Naruto and his _cousin _sharing the same room, but he knew that if Naruto did anything provoking, Hinata would either use Jyuuken to get him away, or her soft scream will notify him. Neji hadn't always liked how his cousin liked _Naruto_, though he really didn't have anything personal against the boy. He knew Naruto was growing stronger each day; if he were to tell any of the Academy students that Naruto had failed the exam to become a Genin three times, they could call him a liar. Uzumaki was becoming the new hope of the Leaf Village.

Soon, the three began daily searches in the morning, afternoon, and evening for Tenten. Their distance and search was doubled, due to Hinata _and _Neji's Byakugan; but still, there was no sign of the missing weapons mistress. It was on one of these searches that Sasuke and Sakura arrived, both flushing with anger with their incredibly bad luck with storms. Neji smirked at the thought.

Sakura had arrived bickering, cursing Naruto for making _them _go in the midst of winter, where most blizzards picked up in Snow country. Sasuke arrived with a deep scowl, cursing Naruto somewhat for the same reason, but more so for making him, _the _Uchiha Sasuke, listen to Sakura's pointless ranting. They were both surprised to see the gang of three together, running towards them.

It was then that they were able to search the village and areas close very quickly and efficiently, but they were still unable to find any trace of Tenten. It made Hinata, Sakura, and especially Neji, increasingly worried about her safety and whereabouts. It made them shiver (for Neji, inwardly, of course) at the thought of her being _dead. _They knew that it was a possibility, but the chances of her death were low, knowing that her willpower was fiercer than her twin dragons.

Neji sat up in a sitting position, throwing on his clothes. It was nearing dawn, the time when the team began their search for Tenten. He gently knocked on Hinata's door, patiently waiting for an answer. Instead, his stoic façade was almost broken when he heard loud talking.

"B-but, Hinata-chan!"

Neji grimaced. He didn't like that whiny tone of Naruto's, especially with _his _cousin.

"N-no, Naruto-kun!"

All his years of self-control was threatening to shatter. He didn't like _both _of their tones. Naruto's was too whiny and seemingly demanding, and Hinata's was too...timid and innocent. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Sasuke and Sakura emerge from their room, smirks visibly present on both their lips.

"I told you, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura chimed.

Sasuke scowled.

"That conversation doesn't mean anything. It may be a simple conflict. It's not embarrassing enough for him to realize it yet."

Sakura pouted. Sasuke always had some way to make truth sound _so _much cooler.

"And what are you two planning?"

Hyuuga Neji wasn't one to pry into peoples' business, but he knew it concerned Hinata, and according to his Branch-house member _duty, _he was to _protect _Hinata from danger.

"Nothing of your concern, Neji. Don't worry, it's not what you're thinking."

Sakura grinned deviously, knowing full well what Neji was thinking. Neji scowled at her and Uchiha's cocky smirk.

"Whoa, everyone's outside already?"

Everyone turned to face Naruto's curious face, and Hinata's flushed one. Sakura grinned at Hinata, who sheepishly smiled back. Neji and Sasuke kept a close eye on Naruto.

"What were you two arguing about?" Neji stiffly asked, "I could hear you from the hallways."

Hinata shyly shifted her gaze to the ground, full-knowing what everyone was thinking. Naruto, however, found nothing wrong with the matter, and shrugged indifferently.

"I wanted to go out for ramen, but Hinata-chan insisted I would make everyone late."

They all remained silent, knowing that words weren't needed to describe a helpless situation.

* * *

Tenten lay trapped in the white room, misery nearly biting her brains out. That same shady figure from her memories continued popping up, haunting her with familiar –yet very unfamiliar – warmth. Tenten wasn't a person that could stand mysteries; she had to solve them, or else she would be driven crazy. She was raised and influenced to think rationally and not let little things bite at her conscience, but it was torture for her to know something, or someone, was missing from her memories, and she had no clue why.

She quickly got out of her bed, and jolted for the door. She had tried everything to get out of the stupid room – jutsus, sweet talk, weapons; but none of them seemed to work. The same man would always greet her at the door, the same insane smirk plastered on his face. She hoped that this time, she were quick enough before he could catch her.

"_Trying to break out again, I see?" _

She cursed.

"It's boring in there."

She blankly stared. He blinked, and let loose an insane laugh that echoed through the empty hallways. She shivered. It was like she were in a prison, all alone, with nobody else but this..._insane _man.

"_How about we come to a little compromise?" _

His tone of voice piqued her interest, and she raised an eyebrow to acknowledge she was interested.

"_I'll let you out from eight in the morning to nine at night, as long as you always promise to return." _

She could sense that he was planning something behind that cocky face, and nodded. To her, it seemed like it was a win-win situation. What did she have to lose? Nothing. She'd be sleeping the time she wasn't allowed outside.

"Fine."

She ran off, missing the man's maniacal smile.

_You're creating your own path to your demise._**  
**

* * *

Neji glared at the window, his dismal mood making him move to the uncomfortable corner of the café. Hinata, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had long since split up from him for a break, each going their own ways to explore shops and merchandise that was never brought in Konoha. A hot cup of coffee sat on the table in front of him, alluring him to take a sip every once in a while to bring warmth into his empty body. 

_It's been...so long since we've been looking...and we still haven't..._

His eyes softened at the sight of the snow falling towards the tranquil village, his ears hearing the joyous laughter of the children.

_I...I want to feel that happiness again..._

He turned his head away to take a sip of the hot liquid before him, but his vision was temporarily altered when a long, delicate hand was in front of his face. He recognized it, and looked up into the serene face of his beloved. She had a friendly smile on her face, waiting for him to return the friendly gesture. He confusingly did, and she her smile grew wider.

"I'm Tenten!"

His heart broke.

_Huh?_**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Soo...sorry about not updating yesterday! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I also apologize for all my previous typos and errors in the chapters; I really do try my best, hehe! 

Anywayyy, for the usual teaser: What is going to happen, now that Tenten's met with Neji? Will he break even more about her memory loss and push her away, or will he eventually begin to accept her?

Will Tenten's memory of him ever come back? (Answer to this won't be in a longggg time, though I felt it fitting to put here XD)

Thanks for reading!


	10. Painful Truth

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 9 – **_Painful Truth  
_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thank you all for your support and reviews!

* * *

"Hyuuga Neji." 

It took all of Neji's self-control to keep his voice steady. His eyes stared into her deep chestnut orbs, bewilderment and pain silently shown in his dull, pearl shine. She, in turn, stared in return, her eyes wondering why he was so familiar when they had just only met.

"W-well...you were alone back here, so I thought I'd...talk to you."

The pain in his eyes scared her. She wanted to know if she did something wrong. Usually, she wouldn't have this kind of attachment to a stranger, but...she _was. _Neji turned his head away, trying his hardest to keep his stoic façade. He wondered what had happened to Tenten, and why she had forgotten him.

"Hey! There's Hinata, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke!"

Tenten smiled, and tapped on the window to get the four's attention. They turned to see the source of the noise, and their eyes widened when they saw the missing ninja _next _to Neji. They smiled (Sasuke smirking of course) and made their way to enter the café. Hinata loomed by the window, staring at her cousin with puzzlement in her eyes. He wasn't happy, he didn't show any signs of _being _happy, and a deep frown was on his face. She knew he was hiding pain. But from what?

Sakura ran and hugged Tenten, a joyous smile present on her face. They had become the best of friends over the years, always together on missions and whatnot. When she released Tenten from her hold, she stood to the side, letting the others have their turn. Her piercing emerald orbs gazed at Neji, wonder in her eyes. Sakura knew that Neji was watching her with his Byakugan, but wondered why he wasn't turned around.

"Neji?" She whispered.

He tensed at her voice, but kept his gaze to the surroundings outside. Sakura turned to Hinata, who had just finished embracing Tenten, for help. Hinata stood at her cousin's side, a soft, delicate hand on his shoulder for support. He didn't tense at her touch; instead he gave her a brotherly gaze, and soon turned away. Hinata softly smiled at him, and turned to Sakura.

_I'll talk to him later._

Sakura nodded, understanding Hinata's gaze. Hinata smiled at her, and soon averted her gaze to Tenten when the girl turned around to face them.

"It's so nice to see you guys again! Oh...hey, you...know him?" Tenten asked.

Sakura and Hinata exchanged gazes, as Naruto looked at the girl flabbergasted. His mouth opened to say something, but Hinata stopped him with a sharp glance. Hinata's sudden strength caused him to close his mouth shut and turn away.

"Y-yes, Tenten. He's my cousin," Hinata said.

Tenten's eyes widened, and a small smile appeared on her rosy lips.

"Ah, I should have known. His pearl eyes gave it away."

Sasuke and Naruto stared at Hinata and Sakura silently, knowing that there was something wrong. Sakura nodded, and they all gave Tenten a smile.

"We have to go get some grocery shopping done," Sakura said.

Tenten averted her gaze from Hinata, and turned to face the blossoming kunoichi. She nodded, and smiled.

"It was nice to see you guys after two years," she said.

Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata smiled at her.

"Likewise," Naruto said.

The four began walking away, waving goodbye to their friend. When they turned away, their faces turned serious, and they all made their way to the inn for a nice, team meeting. When Neji sensed them gone, he placed money in the table, and got up. Tenten stared at him, confused.

"H-hey! Where are you going?"

Neji turned to face her, his eyes cold and piercing, showing large signs of pain. Tenten was taken aback by the strength of his piercing orbs, and just stared as he walked away.

"...It was nice meeting you," she whispered.

She saw him stop for a moment, but he soon continued on his way.

* * *

Tenten returned to the white room in the hidden headquarters of Akatsuki, her amazing photographic memory allowing her to navigate through the thick, snow-covered lands of Snow Country. Luckily, the headquarters was on the outskirts of the village, placed for easy infiltration if they were ever to wipe out the Snow. 

She plopped down on her bed, thoughts racing through her mind. Luckily, that maniacal man hadn't confronted her about anything. She wondered about the new person she had met – Hyuuga Neji. She felt a strange warmth erupt through her body when she had first saw him, and she felt a part of her feel..._relieved. _But another part of her screamed in pain. She wondered why. He was...he was a stranger.

Why...why was she feeling this way?

Her mind screamed in confusion. She wanted to know why he had looked at her with so much..._pain. _Had she...done something wrong?

* * *

Hinata softly stared at her cousin, her lavender orbs emitting a warm aura. Sasuke stared outside of Neji's window, watching a new snowstorm form from the gentle snow being swayed by fierce winds. Sakura stood next to Sasuke, her emerald eyes closed in thought. Naruto's cerulean orbs were hidden from view, a deep frown on his face. Neji sat stiffly on his bed, his piercing pearl orbs seeming to break through the walls. 

"What do you think happened to her?" Sakura asked.

"She remembered us, but not Neji," Naruto said.

The two Hyuuga cousins remained silent.

"A forbidden jutsu is the most reasonable explanation. The fact that only Neji was erased, though, makes it even harder."

They all turned to face the Uchiha who had just spoken. His onyx orbs still didn't leave the coming snowstorm. Sakura stared at him softly, and soon averted her gaze.

"I can look it up in the books, though Tsunade-sensei probably has the ones that I need. That means I'll have to go to Konoha."

"No."

Everyone's eyes widened at the Uchiha's piercing tone. They were used to it, but never had he used such a demanding tone with Sakura before. Sakura glared at him, placing her hands on her hips.

"I can do what I want. This is for Tenten _and _Neji's sake!"

"A snowstorm is coming. You can go kill yourself if you want; I'm not stopping you."

Sakura quietly gasped, and stared at the Uchiha. Never had he seemed to be concerned for her, nor had he ever ordered her in such a way.

"You're a paradox. First you stop me, and now you don't. Pick one."

The Uchiha's deep orbs averted their gaze from the window, and stared into Sakura's gentle emerald ones.

"I don't monitor you, so _you _pick one."

Sakura was about to retort, but Naruto's harsh voice stopped her.

"Shut up, I'm trying to think."

Sakura scowled and sat down on the cold floor, her brows furrowed in irritation.

"_Feh, now you want to think, you dobe."_

Sasuke smirked when he heard her mumble the nearly inaudible words.

Hinata softly smiled at Sakura to help make her feel better, and Sakura gave her a small smile before returning to her deep scowl. Naruto stared at his teammates with his lively cerulean orbs.

"We'll try to find out where she's staying. If a forbidden jutsu _was _used on her, if we find out where she's staying, we might find out a little background. For now, let's get some sleep."

The boy got up and left the room, leaving silence looming around him. He was becoming the figure of the ideal Hokage. Sasuke soon followed, Sakura following suite.

"Neji-nii-san..."

Neji shook his head, and gazed at his cousin. Hinata nodded, understanding his gaze. She smiled at him, and soon left his room, shutting the door softly behind her.**  
**

* * *

Neji stared at the white ceiling above him, the fierce snowstorm outside rattling his window. No matter how hard he tried, sleep would not overcome him. Tenten's image and personality today was first on his mind, and it troubled him to such an extent if a fly landed on his leg, he would kill it. 

Frustration was beginning to envelop his emotions. Tenten's locket was not around her neck like it usually was, she remembered everyone _but _him, but she was _safe. _He knew he was feeling selfish, envying how he was so easily forgotten while the others were not.

_She said she loved him..._

He wanted her to _remember _him. He clenched his fists tightly, blood beginning to seep from his palm. He bit his lip in frustration, having a sudden urge to punch through the wall.

_...She...forgot me so easily..._

He turned to his side, taking his mind off the freedom that the window mocked him with. He closed his eyes in pain, feeling his heart shatter with every inhale and exhale he took.

_She...she..._

He slowly opened his eyes once more, the unfamiliar salty liquid looming at the corners. They caught an unfamiliar envelope on his dresser, and he sat up, his hand reaching to grab it. The envelope was heavy with an object, in perfect shape with no bends or creases. He was about to open it, but thought for a bit.

There was no way that this envelope could slide under his door; the object was too thick inside. There was no hole in the floor, door, or windows, for the object to have flown in somehow. It was very, very, suspicious.

_What if...?_

Pushing the thought of danger away, Neji opened the envelope, noticing his name neatly written on the front.

Salty liquid ran from his eyes when he pulled the object out of the perfect envelope, its shine seeming to shatter him even more. It was Tenten's locket, and his engraving of "I love you" was still there, in perfect shape.

_Tenten...?_

Tears dripped onto the shining surface as bitterness encompassed his heart. With a quick motion, he threw the locket at the wall, its figure still remaining in perfect shape. He lay down on his bed, his pillow becoming wet from his salty tears of pain.**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **So, I hope you like this chapter! Angsty-ish. :) So, since I don't have much to say... 

Where did the mysterious envelope containing Tenten's locket come from? (obvious but...) ...And how did it get there in the first place? Will Sakura return to Konoha, or will Sasuke force her to use the limited resources the Snow has?

Will the gang ever find the headquarters and find the Maniac Man? D:

And of course, the question still stands: Will Neji be too full of pain and frustration and push Tenten away, or will he eventually be able to accept her memory loss and help her gain 'him' back?

Find out soon!

Thanks for reading, everyone!


	11. Begin

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 10 – **_Begin_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews:)

* * *

Soft, rare, sunlight penetrated through Neji's windows, bringing in a calming source of warmth in the midst of winter. His pearl orbs slowly opened, stained from the flow of the salty liquids. He got up and took a warm shower, washing away all his signs of showing emotion. He knew he would disgrace Hinata and the Hyuuga name if _he, the _Hyuuga Neji, showed signs of doing such a _weak_ action. After his shower, he put on his freshly cleaned clothes, the shine of the locket in the corner of the room catching his eye. He silently stared at it, and walked towards it. 

_Tenten. _

He picked it up gently, letting it twirl on its chains, the shine seeming to bring in warmth into his empty body. The words engraved on the back gave him mixed sensations: it gave him warmth and hope, that someday, Tenten would remember him; but it also made him feel pain and sorrow, knowing that Tenten would never be able to see this again. It wasn't easy to regain Hyuuga Neji's trust back. Only few had done so – one of them being Tenten.

_But could she do it again?_

Neji's Byakugan instinctively activated as he heard a timid knock on his door. His eyes widened when he recognized the chakra levels and body shape. He placed the locket in the pocket of his pants, the golden shine hidden from view. He slowly opened the door, and found the object of his thoughts – Tenten, standing at his door, her eyes downcast and showing signs of fatigue.

"N-Neji? C-can I talk to you for a little?"

Staying silent, he stepped aside, letting the distraught girl step into his room. Tenten hesitated at first, but soon made up her mind when she sensed the extreme pain and strength in his eyes. He closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall, watching her silently, waiting for her to continue. Tenten remained silent at first, the strength of his eyes intimidating her.

"Uh..."

Tenten mentally killed herself. She _knew _she wasn't this weak, but for some reason, everything about him made her lose all her self-control. Neji stared at her, amusement hidden behind the pain. But the amusement went away when bitterness and realization hit him.

_So she forgot...everything about me?_

Tenten noticed the new dull shine in his eyes, and looked at his face. It was tense and showed pain, his lips formed into a deep frown. She could feel his aura warning her to back off, his chakra levels on the verge of exploding with power. Without knowing what hit her, her body moved, and her arms wrapped around his body. Neji's eyes widened, shock, confusion, and pain causing him to stay still. He knew that it was the same Tenten that he loved, but she was..._different. _Tenten quickly pulled away, a light blush on her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll go now, see you later!"

Without giving Neji a chance to say anything, she ran off and gently closed the door behind her. Neji took the locket out of his pocket, his eyes narrowed in pain. However, a quick, one-second smile flashed on his lips as one thought raced through his mind.

_Sometimes the body remembers what the mind doesn't._

* * *

Tenten ran towards her little white room, pain and surprise written all over her face. She wanted to know why she had such a sudden impulse. 

_Why...why did I run away?_

Tears began to flow down her face, and her vision was blurred. Soon enough, when she reached her room, she rammed right into Maniac Man (this will be her brother's name until his actual name is revealed ;D). They both landed with an 'oof', the man breaking most of the fall. He hissed in anger and pain, shoving the girl off him.

"_Watch where you're going!" _

Tenten huffed in anger, standing up, and making her way to the door.

"Then stop going to my room!"

The man hissed at her in anger, his eyes menacing and piercing. She returned the deep glare, and opened the door to the extremely bright room.

"I know you're somehow watching whatever I do in this room, so either stop the stalking, or stop coming to my room!"

Tenten gave him one last scowl, and slammed the door in his face.

* * *

Maniac Man (okay, I really need to introduce his name soon...) stared at the slammed door, his malice seeming to burn holes through the thick wall. An insane smile was on his face, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. 

_Oh, what's this? Looks like something's happened to Tenny-chan..._

Another insane laugh reverberated through the hallways as he walked towards his own room, his eyes still gleaming with sadistic pleasure.

_I hope that __**boy **__got the envelope...Oh sweet Tenny-chan, the fun is __**just **__beginning._**  
**

* * *

Tenten awoke in diminishing light, her eyes adjusting to the soon-to-come darkness. She had fallen asleep when she had laid her head on her pillow, the fatigue of the previous night taking its toll on her. She slowly sat up, rubbing her chestnut eyes. Her eyes stared at the time: 7:00 PM. She still had two hours to be able to go outside. Gathering her kunai, she placed her collection in her pouch, and left the white room. 

Neji quietly closed the door behind him, making sure not to awake the others. They were all sleeping in their rooms, the search of the day tiring them out. Sasuke and Sakura's argument continued for an hour, ending in silence and a quiet huff of defeat. Naruto and Hinata retired quietly, Hinata wisely knowing to leave him alone when he was in deep thought. Neji tried to drift to sleep, but the embrace that he had received earlier lingered in his mind.

_Tenten..._

He wandered towards a snow-covered field, the children long gone to the warmth of their homes. Trees were covered in the white snow, their branches bare and frozen. He sat beneath one, and closed his eyes, finding a tranquil state of mind.

_Tenten..._

He was startled when he heard rustling coming towards him. He opened his eyes, and found Tenten watching him silently, a small smile on her face. He fought back his urge to blush; her buns were messy, but he still found her beautiful.

"Neji."

He noticed her kunai pouch tied around her right leg, and let a smirk play on his pale lips. Tenten's smile grew wider as she pulled out kunai and held them between her fingers.

"Let's spar."

Neji complied.**  
**

* * *

_Just like...the old days._

Tenten quietly rested on the other side of the tree, Neji meditating on his side. They had sparred for an hour, each testing their own limits. Neji smirked as Tenten still retained her grace and elegance, her aim never missing. Tenten wondered why she was able to read his movements so well, and why it was all so familiar to her.

"Neji?"

He didn't answer her, but she took the silence as acknowledgement to continue.

"I'm sorry."

He opened his eyes and stood up, walking over to her side of the tree. He found her eyes widened in surprise, and gave her a small smirk.

"You should get home."

Tenten jumped up in surprise, and nodded, letting off her playful smile in thanks.

"Thanks for reminding me! I'll see you tomorrow! Bye!"

She disappeared, snow whirling around where she had previously stood.**  
**

* * *

"Damn it, Neji! It's not even nine thirty (pm)! What's with the interruption?" Sakura asked, rubbing her temples in irritation. 

Neji had woken them up when he returned to the inn, saying that it was 'important to the mission.' Sasuke and Naruto glared at him, hating how he cut down their hours of rest. Hinata softly stared at him, knowing that if he had woken them up from sleep, it must have been good. He, himself, isn't fond of being woken up when it wasn't necessary, so Hinata knew that something was up.

"We'll find where Tenten is tomorrow morning," he calmly said.

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened, as Sasuke and Sakura stared at each other in confusion and wonder. Hinata smiled.

"You tried your new jutsu?" She asked.

Neji slowly nodded. Naruto looked at the two cousins questioningly, and Hinata giggled.

"We tried this new jutsu. When we attach a small mark on an object, Nii-san can activate it with hand signs, and he'll be able to see for a short amount of time through whatever object it is."

"Though, of course, it hasn't been perfected yet, so we're not sure how long it will last," Neji calmly added.

Sakura and Hinata smiled, Sasuke and Naruto nodding approvingly.

"Get some sleep."

The four nodded, happy that they would finally be able to get some sleep.**  
**

* * *

_Tenten...I'll...I'll try._

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of this chapter, but...eh. Ehe. 

Soo, we're almost reaching the climax of the story! I hope to make it in the next three chapters or so, so be prepared for SUSPENSE! MUWAHA.

So, for the next chapter: Maniac Man's real name revealed! What connection does he have to Akatsuki?  
Will the jutsu work, or will it cause complete failure and the demise of the Konoha gang?

Find out soon!

Also, I wrote a SasuSaku oneshot; you should go check it out. :D –shameless advertising-

Thanks for reading!


	12. Remember

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy  
_

**Chapter 11 – **_Remember_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for your reviews! I hope this chapter doesn't drag on, since it's longer than the previous ones.

* * *

The five ninja awoke at the break of dawn, preparing physically and mentally for the task that lay ahead of them. It was decided that they would meet in Neji's room at seven o'clock A.M. sharp, where Neji would attempt his jutsu and find out where Tenten was residing. 

Neji took a quick shower, threw on his clothes, and sat on his bed, meditating. It helped in focus his chakra and mind, leaving no room for emotions for break through his walls of stone and ice. His mind began to race at first, scared of the downfalls of the jutsu that Hinata and he had not completely perfected. It was possible that if it were seen, the enemy could use it against them, able to locate where they were hiding, and their true identities.

"Nii-san?"

His pearl orbs opened when he heard Hinata's soft, muffled voice travel through the walls. He quickly got out of the bed and opened the door, surprised that Hinata was alone. She felt his unsaid question, and gave him a soft smile, inviting herself into his room. He closed the door behind her, and watched as she sat down on the chair by the window. He was surprised when he felt that her eyes were wandering farther from the world.

"Hinata-sama."

The familiar gleam in her eyes returned, and she once again offered him a soft smile.

"Naruto-kun's still in the shower, if that's what you were wondering. Sasuke and Sakura are still in their room, though they're awake. We've an hour, Nii-san."

Before her cousin was able to drift off, she quickly broke in with her gentle voice.

"Where exactly did you place the seal?"

Neji smirked and opened on eye, gently staring at his cousin.

"On Tenten."

Hinata nodded in agreement, and let her cousin take his place on the bed once more, closing his eyes, letting his mind temporarily forget all his troubles and worries. Hinata seemed to sense this, and let her cousin soak in the silence, she herself trying to prepare for whatever lay ahead of them. Her eyes watched as the fierce blizzards of winter died and lived again.

* * *

"_Sasuke, _hurry up! You can't hog up the shower like a girl!" 

Sakura angrily sat on the edge of her bed, angry that Sasuke had been in the shower for more than an hour. She huffed. Even _she _didn't take that long!

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call me a girl," came his cool voice.

Sakura glared at him, his body surrounded by steam, covered only with a simple towel. Sakura fought back an urge to blush at sight of his well-toned body, and instead kept her scowl.

"You girl! Now hurry the hell up; I need to take a shower!"

Sasuke smirked at his teammate, his arrogant and cocky attitude getting the better of him. It was just oh-so-fun to see Sakura angry with him.

"Wait, I need to brush my teeth, comb my hair..."

Sakura's eyes widened. Since when did Sasuke have a playful side? Sure he was arrogant and cocky, but never used that to _tease _her. She growled, her impatience getting the better of her. Swiftly walking past the Uchiha, she threw out his clothes, and shut the door.

"You can do that out there! Teme!"

He grinned. (Oh, if only Sakura could see it...)

"_SAAASSUUUKKKEEEEE! YOU TOOK UP ALL THE HOT WATER!!" _

Sasuke quickly changed into his clothes, knowing that once Sakura got out of her _cold, uncomfortable _shower, he would be dead if he were to linger in the room.

* * *

Neji quietly stared at the four ninja sitting before him, each lost in their own little worlds, meditating and preparing last minute. All their eyes were closed, save Hinata and himself; he quietly stared at his cousin, and gave her a small smirk. She returned the gesture, and her eyes wandered to the blond who sat next to her cousin. 

Neji inwardly smiled at her wandering eyes, amazed that after so many years of unrequited love (and more, since Naruto's still a tad dense...) she still held the same, true love she had for him from when they were young.

_It never fades._

"So, are we ready for the jutsu, yet?"

All their eyes opened when they heard Naruto's piercing, demanding tone. Sakura turned to face her teammate and friend, a soft smile on her rose lips.

"Let's see what we can do," he said again, this time in his softer, more Naruto-like tone.

All eyes turned to Neji, and he nodded. Hinata gave him support and reassurance when she gave him her timid smile, and Neji inwardly smiled, treasuring his brother-sister bond with his cousin. He began to form the appropriate hand signs, all anxious eyes on him. He felt a pulse in his eyes.

**NEJI-VISION!**

"_Ughhh. They need new beds here..."_

_Tenten slowly climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes to remove of any itches or objects that found their way into her orbs while she was asleep. _

"_Ick. I think I sense __**him **__coming..."_

_She quickly began to walk towards the shower, hoping to make it there in time before he got there._

"_Tenten!"_

_She winced. So she didn't make it in time – that didn't mean she had to answer the door! _

"_If you don't open this door, I'll get in there."_

"_Damn it," she whispered. _

_She opened the door, finding the one-and-only Maniac Man standing there, the smirk on his face showing sadistic pleasure._

"_How is your beloved?" _

_Tenten's eyes widened, showing signs of the salty liquid building at her orbs. _

"_S-stop! Don't make me ... remember! ...Ugh!" _

_Tenten doubled over in pain, her hands clutching her head to try and relieve some of the intense sting. Tears began to drip from her eyes, uncontrolled and unwanted. _

"_AGH!" _

_Tenten screamed in agony, the migraine getting unbearable. The man before her laughed with pleasure._

"_Who...who the hell are you?" She managed to ask._

_He laughed once more, the echoes of his insane laughter reverberating through Tenten's body. _

"_Fine, if you are so __**desperate **__to bring more pain upon yourself."_

_The man walked in front of her, flashing a mark on his hip. _

**(Neji isn't seeing anything starting now, because it's Tenten's memories)**

"_Nii-chan!" _

_A small, five-year-old Tenten smiled at sight of her rare brother, his body tired from a long mission. He was every part her idol; he was one of the best ninja Konoha had ever seen. She ran up to him, her smile bringing him warmth._

"_Ah, Tenny-chan," he tiredly said. _

_She smiled and hugged him, his strong arms gently returning the embrace. _

"_How has your training been going?" _

_She cutely pouted at him as he picked her up to hold her, her mind furrowing from the thought of what her father had told her. _

"_Tou-san says my aim is getting better. I keep missing by a centimeter, Nii-chan!" _

_Her brother laughed. They were from the __**only **__clan in Konoha that specialized in weapons. Many of their members and brethren had perfect aim, their intense training starting from when they walk, which made them rivaling the Hyuuga and Uchiha. They lacked the kekkei genkai abilities that the Hyuuga and Uchiha had, but their eyes were naturally sharp and quick._

"_Tenten, we should be training. I have high hopes for you."_

_The siblings turned their attention to their father. His piercing, chestnut orbs were anything but loving and welcoming. They held the sights and shine of seeing too many deaths; his heart was naturally cold and distant. Their mother was almost the same, though her motherly instincts were more welcoming and warming. _

"_Ah, you're back from your mission, Jigoku."_

_Jigoku looked at his father with the same distance and coldness. The happiness that he had with his sister soon drained, an evil presence unknowingly taking away all his happiness._

"_Hai, Tou-san." _

_Tenten jumped from her brother's arms, scared that her father would hit her if she would take any longer._

"_I'm sorry, Nii-chan! Let's play later, please?" _

_Jigoku smiled at his blossoming sister, watching her trail behind their father. As he watched, he could swear he saw his father smile._

* * *

"_Ah! Jigoku! You're back?" _

_His mother greeted Jigoku when he walked into the manor. He noted that she was happier than ever, a different shine and smile present on her lips._

"_Oh, Tenten's growing to be just like you, Jigo-kun! Aren't you so proud?"_

_He felt that his heart stopped, putting on a fake smile on his lips._

"_Hai. Tenny-chan certainly is becoming strong."_

_His mother smiled, but her eyes suddenly became piercing and serious._

"_Jigo-kun, we love you two equally, don't you know?"_

_Jigoku turned to face his mother, his last, genuine smile plastered on his lips._

"_Hai, Kaa-san." _

_She smiled at him and dismissed him, walking towards the kitchen to help the maids prepare dinner._

* * *

_Tenten awoke in the middle of the night, the screams of her relatives reverberating through her ears. She quietly snuck out of bed, bringing her stuffed panda plushie and her concealed kunai with her. She slowly opened the door, only to find the stench of blood and death poisoning her nostrils. She found the bodies of her parents sprawled before her, their fresh blood staining the wooden floors._

"_K-K-Kaa-san? T-T-Tou-san?" _

_Her voice quivered with fright. Her parents were...dead. She was surprised to see her brother leaning against the wall, calm and collected as if nothing happened. He was smiling, but she knew it was a smile full of sadistic pleasures._

"_N-Nii-chan? Wh-who did this?"_

Tears began to stain her innocent face, her panda soaking in the salty liquid. Jigoku stared at her, a new pleasure in his eyes.

"_Kaa-san is a liar, Tenny-chan. She said she loved us both equally. But it was obvious that you were the apple of their eyes!" _

_He kicked off the wall and began preparing for an attack to kill his sister, his hands held together as he made the appropriate hand signs. He was surprised when he felt a kunai impale his hands, making him unable to complete the signs. If it were any centimeter to the left, he would have lost his hands forever. He stared at his sister. In her chestnut orbs was a fire of determination, anger, pain, and sorrow. _

"_I hate you!" _

_He smiled._

"_Loathe me, then! You owe me much more than petty feelings of hatred!" _

_Before she could reply, he pulled the kunai out of his body, and knocked her out. She heard the incantations of a jutsu, but blacked out before she was able to lay her finger on it. _

* * *

_W...where am I?_

_Tenten looked at her surroundings, finding herself by the village gates. Her head throbbed with unbearable pain, and she screamed with agony. _

"_Aw, little girl, where is your family?" _

_She stared at the innocent passerby. He was a weird man, clad in green spandex, with a bowl cut. His eyes were a type she had never seen, and he seemed to shine with unique joy._

"_Huh? I...I don't know." _

_She looked to her left, and saw that she only had the clothes on her body and her panda. _

_Family?_

**BACK TO NEJI-VISION!**

"_...UGH!" _

_Tenten screamed in pain, tears rushing to her eyes. She managed to get up from the floor, regardless of her intense migraine. She stared at her brother with as much hatred as she could muster._

"_Jigoku!"_

_He laughed, and closed the door in her face, knowing she was too weak to harm him._

_Tenten looked out the window, her eyes closing and darkness encompassing her._

* * *

Neji's head was thrown back by an invisible force, his head slightly hurting. Hinata stared at him worriedly, and Sakura got up to make sure that nothing was injured.

"That was a long time, Nii-san," Hinata said, as she watched her cousin recover from using so much chakra.

"Tenten...she's...on the outskirts...of the village..."

Sakura's eyes widened, her photographic memory flashing images through her mind.

"That's right! On our way here, Sasuke and I saw a peculiar sight. We don't know if that may be the building, but it's certainly not a natural formation."

Neji nodded, slowing closing his eyes. He didn't want to tell them of Tenten's screams of pain – just seeing her scream and double over with pain and agony would haunt him for sure. He would tell them about the man's name tomorrow, or perhaps when he felt more energy. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He slowly found himself drifting to slumber, hearing his team's hushed voices.

"_Let him sleep. We haven't mastered that jutsu yet, so it takes up an incredible amount of chakra." _

"_You two did well, Hinata-chan."_

"_Let's go."_

"_Hai."_

* * *

**A/N: **Soo...that was a pretty long chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! I think there will be a few more chapters after this one before it's over. I already have part of the last one written out due to a random outburst I had on an ending, so when it comes, I hope you'll enjoy it! Annd, I know that whenever I throw in some Sasuke and Sakura, they usually provide some comic relief. But, I'll try to have some serious SasuSaku moments. XD;;  
Also, Jigoku equals hell (my Japanese isn't perfect; please don't kill me if it's wrong n.n;;).  
Tenten equals heaven.

Get it, get it? ;D

Next time: Why does Jigoku's name sound so familiar? Will Akatsuki's base finally be penetrated? What will happen between Tenten and her brother, now that their 'familiarity' has been established?

Find out soon :)

Thanks for reading!


	13. Bukiwa

**A Thousand Miles  
**_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 12 – **_Bukiwa_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto  
**A/N: **OH.EM.GEE. I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER! D:  
Thanks for your reviews :)

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura set out before dawn to look at the formation they had seen on their way to the village to investigate. There was a gentle blanket of snow falling over them, giving the sleeping village an even stronger sense of serenity. 

"Sasuke, I found an interesting book in one of the libraries here," Sakura said.

Sasuke gave his teammate a look to acknowledge her to continue. Sakura caught this and kept her emerald eyes on the road before them, trying her hardest not to stare at the teammate that she had grown to care for.

"About a jutsu. It says that the person doing this ninjutsu goes deep into memory cells, erasing a part of the memory of a person they are targeting. Though it's extremely effective, the person can recover their lost memory if the ninjutsu was not done correctly, or if they see an object strongly related to that memory."

At this, Sasuke's eyebrows rose with surprise and interest. Sakura stopped walking, her gentle eyes soon turning hard and analyzing. She gazed at him intensely, worry and concern for Tenten written on her face.

"It is extremely dangerous and painful to the person who had lost part of their memory...but..."

"But...?"

At this Sakura looked away, scared that tears would fall from her emerald eyes.

"They can die if it was used to them to such an extent. The ninja who did the ninjutsu also had a price to pay with such a jutsu. Many of their cells are killed in the process; they could either die or suffer fatal injury to any part of their body if the jutsu caused immense strain. It's a forbidden jutsu hidden by the northwestern clans."

Sasuke looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise. Sakura still looked away from him, the salty liquids falling from her precious orbs. He seemed to sense this and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, comforting her with his rare touch. She turned around, surprised at his gesture, and was met with a tiny smile.

"Tenten's strong – like you."

At this, she returned his smile, wiping her tears away with her gloved fingers. To her dismay, he removed his hand from her shoulder and continued walking towards the peculiar formation, not wanting or knowing words to say. Sakura stared for a moment, and ran to catch up with him.

"Sasuke, you won't ever forget Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, or me, will you?"

Sasuke did not turn around, but answered her with the unfamiliar tone she had been witnessing and experiencing for the past few days.

"I can handle forgetting about the dobe. But I won't let anyone ruin my other memories."

At this, Sakura smiled.

* * *

Neji awoke when he felt soft sunlight penetrating through his windows, somewhat blinding his eyes and giving him warmth. Just as he got out of bed, he was met with a timid knock. 

"_Nii-san? May I talk to you?" _

Neji opened the door and found Hinata at his door, worry and concern written all over her face.

"Hinata-sama."

Hinata walked into this room once more, finding a spot on her cousin's bed. Neji closed the door behind her and watched her, knowing that something was wrong.

"Sakura and Sasuke confirmed their suspicion. The formation they saw is indeed an underground building. They say it showed signs of recent use."

Neji nodded approvingly.

"We'll need to figure out a plan to infiltrate it."

Hinata nodded and stared at her cousin for a moment before continuing.

"Sakura also found information on the jutsu that was used on Tenten."

At this, Neji's eyebrow rose with interest and surprise.

"She says it was indeed a forbidden jutsu. It erases part of a memory, but can be returned if an object that strongly resembles or relates to the memory is used. However, Sakura said it could cause immense strain, and even death, on the victim and the user."

At this Neji turned away from his cousin, his eyes glancing at the gentle snowstorm outside. Hinata, too, broke her gaze and watched the snowstorm, silence encompassing the two Hyuuga cousins. Hinata bowed in respect to him and walked towards the door, knowing that was all she was needed for. Before she was able to exit his room, his voice stopped her.

"Tenten's strong."

Hinata smiled and softly closed the door behind her.

* * *

"Ugh...damn...my head hurts..." 

Tenten slowly got out of bed, her intense migraine still lingering in her head. The memory that she had recovered from her brother – no, _Jigoku _– scared her. She sadly looked at her face in the mirror, her brother seeming to stare back at her through familiar eyes. She quickly looked away, unable to accept that it was her _brother _that killed her family, and her _brother _that tortured her for so many years.

"_Tenny-chan."_

She winced at the familiar name, and slowly made her way to the door. When she opened it, she was met with her brother's chestnut orbs, the same maniacal smile on his face.

"What...the hell do you want?"

Tenten glared at him, the same fierceness that she had shown him the night their family was killed present in her eyes. Her brother laughed at this and shrugged.

"_I just thought I'd drop by. Or does Tenny-chan want to be left alone for a while?" _

A growl seemed to erupt from her vocal chords, her migraine pounding through her skull. She leaned onto the wall for support, closing her eyes in attempt to shut off the pain.

"Your name is fitting. Go to hell, Jigoku."

A laugh reverberated through her room, making her shiver with fear and anxiety.

"_Your name isn't fitting to you at all, Tenny-chan. You deserve neither heaven nor hell. You deserve to burn on this earth, feeling all the pain that you made me feel, and you deserve to burn to ashes, your soul unable to go above or below." _

Tenten glared at him once more.

"If you loved Kaa-san, then you would have _believed _her, you asshole! Why did you have to _kill _them?! Why did you have to kill Tou-san, Kaa-san, _everyone?!" _

Tears of anger and sorrow fell from her face, her fists tightly clenched. Jigoku stared at her indifferently, his smile growing wider as her sobs grew louder.

"_I'm going to kill you, Jigoku! You can take all your selfish desires to hell!" _

"_Fine. I shall take you up on that. Let us see who they smile upon."_

Tenten slammed the door in his face, tears still flowing from her eyes.

"They'll never smile on the one that killed them."

* * *

Sakura's eyes scanned the text in the book carefully, analyzing the words and information as the words processed through her brain. She was trying to find out as much information as she could on the forbidden jutsu, hoping to find a less painful cure. So far, her efforts to find a gentle cure were failing. 

"Sakura."

Her eyes remained glued on the book, not casting her teammate an acknowledging stare.

"Yes, Sasuke?"

It took all her efforts to continue researching. She was used to always watching over him, helping him, talking to him. But she knew that this was more important than some romance. She needed to save Tenten.

"I found this book. It's one of few copies left. It's on the jutsus that northwestern clans use and used. I'm surprised they had it in the library."

"And how did you bring it here?"

She looked up to see a guilty smirk on her teammate's lips, and she smiled, taking the book from his hands.

"Aw, little Uchiha's naughty now? Or does he just want to save Tenny-chan?"

Sasuke winced at her playful voice as she instantly opened up the new book. There was a calm silence between the two, the only noise between them the pages of the book turning as Sakura began a new page to analyze. Sasuke watched her, noticing her intense concentration and the furrow of her brows.

"Sakura."

Sakura once again refused to look at him, her concentration completely on the pages of the book.

"Hmm?"

Sasuke fought back an urge to burn the books and let off a frustrated sigh, his hand ruffling his hair in an attempt to lessen his anger. At his unusual antics, Sakura's focus was averted, and she watched the raven-haired teen curiously.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

She was met with silence, and after a moment of an intense questioning gaze, she backed down and returned to her book.

"Sakura."

He once again persisted, and Sakura looked up from her book this time. Something was up with him, and she was going to find out. His unusual antics became her focus, her emerald orbs curiously staring at him once more. She silently waited for his explanation, but one never came. She was about to turn back to her book, but before she could, the book was slammed shut, and she stared up in surprise.

"...Sasuke?"

She was gain met with silence, and deviously smirked at her teammate's unusual behavior. Once she put two and two together, Sasuke _has _been acting rather _strangely _towards her lately. Sasuke seemed to notice her smirk and rose an eyebrow, questioning her with an intense gaze.

"Aww, little Sasu-chan's jealous, isn't he?"

Sasuke scowled, forcing his Sharingan to stay hidden behind his onyx orbs.

"Don't _call _me that, Sakura."

Her eyebrow rose with interest and victory.

"Oh, so I was right about _Sasu-chan _being jealous?"

"I told you _not _to call me that."

Sakura persisted, her smirk growing into a smile.

"Sasu-chan's jealous that Saku-chan's not paying attention to him, ne?"

"_Sakura." _

Sakura laughed and wiped tears from her eyes, quickly averting her gaze from the scowling Uchiha.

"Alright, alright."

She looked down on her book, ready to continue analyzing the pages. She couldn't open it, however, because of her teammate's firm hand on the cover.

"Erm, Sasuke...I reallyyy need to study this. I mean, I might be able to..."

Before she could finish, she was surprised when she felt a pair of firm lips over hers, but she soon returned the kiss. When they finally broke away for air, Sasuke once again looked at her with an unfamiliar, intense gaze.

"I told you," he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips once more, "That Tenten is strong. She doesn't need that kind of saving."

Sakura gave him a puzzled stare, but soon replaced it with a joyous one. She deeply gazed into his onyx orbs, a gentle smile playing on her rosy lips.

"Sasu-chan's right. Now may I please study the book? Tenten may not need saving, but we need to be well-informed with what kind of jutsu we're dealing with, so I can heal it and you can help me."

"I told you not to call me that."

Sakura pulled his hand off the cover and quickly opened the book before he could return his hand, and gave him an innocent smile.

"Silly Sasu-chan. You take up all the hot water, and I will call you Sasu-chan."

She got up, gave him a quick kiss, and sat back down, her eyes glued to the book's topography. When Sasuke only scowled, she smiled at him.

"Good Sasu-chan."

* * *

Neji lay down on his bed, his eyes closed but ever watching his surroundings. His mind was lost in a deep trail of thought, his mind trying to find answers to the familiar name. 

_Jigoku...Jigoku..._

His head began to ache from so much thinking. His eyes snapped open from three timid knocks on his door, and he instantly recognized it to be Hinata.

"Hinata-sama, you can come in."

Hinata shyly came into his room, her lavender eyes closely watching him.

"Did you need something?" Neji asked.

Hinata looked down at her feet in embarrassment, and her cousin's eyebrow rose with curiosity.

"This doesn't have to do with Naruto, does it?"

At this, a light blush was found on Hinata's cheeks.

"I'm scared of what Sakura-chan is saying to him right now."

Neji smirked and closed her eyes once more, trying to rack his brain for the familiar name. Hinata noticed this and decided to remain silent, respecting her cousin's privacy and space.

"Hinata-sama."

Hinata looked up at her cousin, and acknowledged him to continue, she too, too caught up in her thoughts to speak.

"Does the name 'Jigoku' sound familiar to you?"

Hinata remained silent for several moments, and then let off a small nod.

"Hai. He's a missing ninja, wanted for the death of his clan. It's said he left one survivor, much like Itachi had done. But that's only a legend – any traces left of the Bukiwa clan have been wiped out," Hinata said.

Neji's eyebrow rose as his ears processed 'Bukiwa'. It was simple Japanese, perhaps once originated from a poor clan, but held one meaning: weapon.

"What was this clan's bloodline and specialty?"

Hinata thought for another moment, and looked at her cousin curiously.

"They had no kekkei genkai. They were weapons experts; they were trained by elders and such from when they could walk. It's said they _needed _no kekkei genkai; their eyes were naturally sharp and quick. They developed their own jutsus, and perhaps even introduced aerial maneuvers and fighting styles to Konoha, as they originated somewhere in the Northwestern parts."

_Jigoku Bukiwa...so that was where I heard it before._

"And what does this said Jigoku look like?"

At this, Hinata instantly remembered.

"It's on file with Hokage-sama, but I remember looking at Bukiwa Jigoku's file to help the Hokage sort her files. He had ruffled, messy brown hair, and piercing chestnut eyes...like he were..."

"...related to Tenten?" Finished Neji.

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise.

"...Did you see this in the jutsu? A lot of ninja could look like Tenten..."

"If you put two and two together, Hinata-sama..."

"...Tenten's strengths go well with the clan. And she has no surname...no memory of her family..."

Both of their Byakugan activated, their veins pulsing out from their eyes.

"We know where Bukiwa is – and the one in the legend, too."

Hinata nodded in agreement, words unnecessary to describe the situation. Everything was said that needed to be said.

* * *

_Tenten...what has Jigoku done to you...?_

* * *

**A/N: **OH. EM. GEE!! I'm sooooo sorry I haven't updated in like...2 weeks?! DDD: 

I had a serious case of writer's block, so yeah. I'm not a huge fan of this chapter. I feel that it's rushed and whatnot. Anyway, again, I think I added some comic relief with Sasuke and Sakura, but I hope the first part was serious enough. The second part was just fun to write, and probably had no significance to the story at all. XDD

Anywayyy...

Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll be able to update sooner. GO AWAY WRITER'S BLOCK! D:


	14. Beautiful Stranger

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 13 – **_Beautiful Stranger_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for your support and reviews! I appreciate it. :)

* * *

A fierce snowstorm erupted through the gentle Village Hidden in the Snow. Villagers were locked inside, cherishing the warmth of their fireplaces. Neji, however, was sitting at the place where he had first sparred with Tenten. His eyes were closed, his body fighting the chill of the fierce snowstorm. His mind was calm and collected, drifted off into a world with no troubles or worries. 

"N-Neji? Wh-what a-are y-you d-doing...?"

He opened one of his eyes, only to be met with Tenten's questioning chestnut orbs.

"Meditating."

Tenten curiously stared, wondering how he held so much power as to remain unfazed by the extreme winter cold. Neji caught this and quickly closed his open eye, trying once again to drift off into the worriless world. His eyes once again opened when he felt her sit next to him, her scarf woven around both their necks.

"You don't have to do that."

He heard a muffled laugh, and felt her shake her head.

"But I want to. You're like winter."

His gaze lingered for a few more moments before he closed his eyes once more. Tenten smiled against the fabric of the scarf, she too closing her eyes and soaking in the warmth of winter.

* * *

Hinata quietly sat at the ramen stand, patiently waiting for her miso ramen to be fully cooked. Her eyes wandered in all directions, wondering where her cousin had gone. She was so deep in thought that she took no notice of Naruto taking a seat next to her, ordering the same that she had. 

"...Hinata?"

Hinata's head snapped towards his voice, and her eyes widened in embarrassment. She managed to force a small smile on her lips, and averted her gaze, uncomfortable staring at Naruto's cerulean orbs for too long.

"What are you doing here?"

She giggled and looked at him once more.

"What else do you think I'm doing? I'm eating ramen!"

He smiled at her, and quickly averted his gaze.

"That's not what I meant."

Hinata once again smiled, and her lavender orbs clashed with cerulean.

"I was wondering where Neji-nii-san went."

Naruto nodded. His eyes instantly lit up when his ramen was served. Hinata stifled a laugh as the ramen brought warmth into her cold body.

"Probably training," Naruto said between bites.

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"He likes to train in this kind of weather."**  
**

* * *

Hinata and Naruto remained at the ramen stand for an hour, Naruto eating more than ten bowls of ramen to satisfy his stomach. Hinata patiently waited for him to finish while he sparked up conversations between his bites and bowls. Soon, his stomach was completely satisfied, and they made their way back to the inn, night soon taking over them. 

"I hope Nii-san's back."

Naruto cast a sideways glance at the girl next to him, watching as she pondered where her cousin was.

"I hope he's not cold."

Naruto remained silent, knowing that the conversation was meant for Hinata's ears only. Soon, she remained silent as well, an awkward silence looming between the two.

"Are _you _cold, Hinata?"

A light blush made its way to her cheeks, and she fought her urge to look into her cerulean orbs. Naruto let off a toothy grin and pulled Hinata closer to him, his left arm draped loosely across her shoulders. Hinata's blush grew ten shades of red, her eyes wide with surprise.

"...Thank you, Naruto."

Her eyes were met with a smile.

* * *

"Ohh, Sasu-chan, I told you that one would work!" Sakura chimed as they made their way back to the inn after Naruto and Hinata. 

Sasuke scowled when he heard the new nickname Sakura had given him, and walked dismally with her, wishing to burn and _kill _that _stupid _nickname.

"Aww, that's no way to look, Sasu-chan! Naruto and Hinata are hitting it off!"

His scowl grew deeper when he was once again called the _cute _name of "Sasu-chan". Uchiha Sasuke was anything but cute. He was supposed to be scary and mean. There was no "cute" in his definition.

"Sasu-chan's so cute!"

He managed to keep back a large growl and an urge to lunge at Sakura.

"You know Saku-chan's kidding."

He sighed in hopes to let off some lingering feelings of irritation, and Sakura smiled. She gently took his hand in hers, and they walked together, both fighting off the winter cold.**  
**

* * *

The stars looked upon the still-fierce snowstorm, Neji and Tenten sitting still in quiet meditation. They had been there for the whole day, sitting in silence, knowing that they neither wanted to speak nor knew what to say. Tenten didn't mind; she barely knew him, but she somehow knew he wasn't one to speak. 

"...You should get home."

Tenten cast a sideways glance at the man beside her, her orbs questioning him. The scarf around them hid his smile, and he averted his gaze from the girl, his pearl orbs staring up at the stars in the sky. Tenten's lips formed a small smile, it too, hidden by the fabric.

"It's already past nine, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Tenten sighed and gazed at the stars, trying her hardest not to cry. She hated to feel weak, and releasing tears made her feel weak and helpless.

"Then Jigoku will kill me then and there. I hate him so much, but I know I can't...beat him yet."

Neji remained silent. He knew Tenten's abilities surpassed any regular kunoichi's expectations, her skills rivaling Sakura's and Hinata's. They were all strong and confident, their attacks never weak and hesitant. All of their pasts had trained them that some people just weren't to be trusted.

"Let's spar, then."

Tenten's eyes widened in surprise, and she carefully watched him unweave the scarf from his neck, and hand it to her. He then offered her a hand. She looked at it hesitantly, and soon took it.

"...Thank you."

She was too embarrassed to catch his smile.**  
**

* * *

"Naruto-kun, Neji-nii-san's not back yet." 

"...Hm...you're not asleep yet?"

Hinata let off a guilty smile, forgetting that it was past midnight. Naruto was sleeping soundly on the bed next to her, and she was so caught up with worry for her cousin that she had forgotten he was asleep.

"I'm sorry. You can go back to sleep if you want."

Naruto slowly sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes in a childish manner. He was still groggy, but he looked at Hinata.

"No, it's okay. I'll stay up with you."

Hinata smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."**  
**

* * *

The two were sprawled on the cold snow, shivering with cold from the fierce winds colliding with their dripping sweat. 

"I think...sparring this late...was a bad idea..." Tenten huffed.

Neji remained silent, and slowly got up, recovering from exhausting his chakra. Tenten, however, still remained sprawled on the snow, her eyes closed from fatigue.

"Are you going to go back to wherever you're staying? With this...Jigoku person?"

Tenten's eyes slowly opened at the sound of his voice, and a small frown was present on her lips.

"I can't figure out if it's worse to get away from there, or show up late..."

Neji offered her another hand, and she gratefully took it, her body's lack of chakra giving her minimal strength.

"Let me take you there."

Tenten's eyes widened, and she soon stood in front of him.

"No! Jigoku might as well kill you! Just...let me go alone. I can handle it."

Neji shook his head.

"No. Either let me take you, or stay with me until morning."

Tenten remained silent, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. She felt that it would be better if she returned, but Jigoku may attack Neji, and she didn't want that. Then again, if she went with him, she'd be able to spare Neji some hurt, and perhaps death.

"I'll...go with you."

Neji nodded.**  
**

* * *

"_Naruto-kun!" _

"Hmm...? What's wrong?"

Hinata stared at Naruto, fear and confusion present in her eyes.

"Neji's with Tenten!"

Naruto was wide awake now, his cerulean eyes gratefully staring into Hinata's Byakugan eyes.

"..._WHAT?" _

Hinata shook her head.

"I...I don't want to talk to him. It might ruin something. Let's wait till morning."

Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. Sleep well, Hinata."

Hinata smiled.**  
**

* * *

Neji quietly watched as Tenten tried to drift off to slumber. She continued tossing and turning in her sleep, trying her hardest to find rest. She was tired, but fear and worry kept her awake. 

"Tenten, it's fine. I'm here."

Tenten turned to face Neji and found him sitting up on his bed, his eyes gently gazing at her. She blushed, and nodded.

"Will you do me a favor tomorrow morning?"

"Sure."

Neji intensely looked at the girl in front of him this time.

"Please make a map of wherever you're staying."

"Why?"

"...Please, just do it."

Tenten remained silent for moments, but soon nodded.

"Okay."

Neji cast her a grateful glance. Tenten smiled in return, and hid her chestnut orbs from view, her mind finally finding its sweet escape into slumber. Before she was completely lost in the serenity of sleep, she slowly opened one of her eyes once more.

"Neji?"

She was met with silence, but she knew he was listening.

"You're a beautiful stranger."

She closed her eyes once more, finally drifting off to sleep. Neji quietly stared at her, surprise and pain in his eyes. He wished that she could remember him, so he would be so much more than a 'beautiful stranger'. He fingered the gold locket in his pocket, his mind wandering to the days when she had worn it. He smiled, and gently held the locket in his palms.

He didn't want to be a beautiful stranger, but that would be enough for now.**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! Thanks for all of your reviews! Let's see. I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know what to say about it, so...I'll leave it at that, haha. 

Next chapter!

What will happen to Tenten when she shows up a day late? Will she be able to go out to give Neji his requested map, or will she be stuck in that room forever?

Find out soon! Thanks for reading!


	15. Tensions

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 14 – **_Tensions_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **WOOT! 100 reviews! Thanks guys!  
This story is almost over. ):

* * *

Tenten awoke as fierce winds clattered the rusty inn windows, her head swirling with pain. Her eyes slowly wandered to the sleeping figure across the room from her, and she let out a sigh. She wondered what had provoked her to say what she had said; what she had said last night was supposed to remain in her thoughts. He was _never _supposed to know that she felt a mutual attraction towards him. Her chestnut orbs held his sleeping body for a moment longer, and wandered to the clock next to her.

_5:45 AM._

Tenten shut her eyes to try to prevent another intense migraine, but it soon came, and she tried her hardest to not make a sound. However, her brain was pounding hard against her skull, and she slowly scrambled out of bed. It seemed that she felt Jigoku's anger; she silently groaned in protest. She knew that she would be in for it; her brother wasn't the kind to let her off the hook, especially since she was a whole day late.

Her eyes once again turned to the sleeping figure across from her. She slowly made her way towards his bedside, her chestnut orbs gently soaking in his appearance. Her delicate fingers lightly traced every centimeter of his face, careful not to wake him up from slumber. She smiled when he lightly stirred and returned to deep slumber, his lips nearly formed in a smile.

_I'm sorry, Neji._

She leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, her cheeks growing a light rose. She gave him one last look before she disappeared, a small smile present on her lips.

_You feel like so much more than a beautiful stranger._**  
**

* * *

Neji awoke from slumber as he felt warmth on his cheek appear and abruptly leave again. He didn't dare open his eyes; instead, he activated his Byakugan. He found it to be Tenten, and as soon as she had come, she was gone. He frowned. He usually wasn't such a heavy sleeper; he would be awake at the break of dawn, or the slightest shifts in the air. He had trained himself and taught himself such important things, and these skills had saved his team from ambush many times. 

He slowly sat up when he knew that she had gone, his eyes scanning the room. Tenten's bed was left as though she were still sleeping in it, the sheets scrambled as if she were tossing and turning. He sighed and got out of bed, making his way to the shower.**  
**

* * *

"_And why are you just showing up now, Tenny-chan?" _

Tenten winced at the evident anger and malice present in her brother's voice. She looked into his orbs, finding a sadistic gleam present there. She was ashamed to carry the same orbs as his.

"...I fell asleep."

"_Where?"_

"I was walking around the village, you know, to familiarize with it. And I wandered to this really nice field, and leaned against the seemingly warm tree, and I fell asleep."

"_And you have no frostbite? It was a blizzard last night."_

Tenten bit her lip. She really was never that great of a liar. Her ability to be able to read people's faces and eyes like a book had molded her into a horribly bad liar.

"Don't you remember what I was wearing?" Tenten snapped.

In an instant she was pinned to the wall, the fierce grip of her brother seeming to break her wrists. Tenten's intense migraine returned instantly. She shut her eyes from the pain, and waited patiently for a crushing blow. But one never came. Instead, she felt her eyes being forced open, and she was forced to stare into familiar orbs. Her mind instantly put up a picture of her mother, her father, her _clan, _who all bore the same eyes. She felt tears form in her own, but she shook them away with malice and anger.

"_I can kill you, you know."_

"If you could kill me, you should have done it when everyone else died because of you," Tenten spat.

The grip around her wrists tightened, and she knew that if he could push his grip any further, her wrists would definitely snap. She was surprised when he let go of her, a new gleam present in his eyes; his same, maniacal smile was present on his lips. Tenten immediately moved to massage her wrists, a dark red mark present where he had gripped her.

"_Tch. Like you would beat me. Tou-san and Kaa-san will support __**me. **__They will see how __**I**__ am so much better than __**you.**__" _

Tenten rolled her eyes. Even if her brother were only around his mid-twenties, he still acted like such a spoiled brat. She guessed it was because of all the attention and praise he received before she was born.

"Grow up," Tenten hissed.

Before he could get to her, she disappeared, beginning Neji's request.**  
**

* * *

The Konoha ninja once again gathered in Neji's room, looking at him curiously. A gentle blanket of snow began to fall, winter soon coming to a close. They all remained silent, waiting for Neji to speak. Neji cast a glare at Naruto when he realized that he was a little _too _close to Hinata, and soon continued. 

"We'll be able to form a plan to infiltrate the base soon," he began.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose with interest, Sakura and Hinata remaining silent.

"Nii-san," Hinata began, "how? Wasn't Tenten in your ... _room _last night?"

Neji cast her a hateful glance, and found the Uchiha and Haruno trying their hardest not to burst out with laughter.

"Tenten...was in your room?" Sakura asked.

Neji sighed with irritation and glared at her, the intensity of his gaze causing her to abruptly look away.

"Not what _you're _thinking we did, of course, Haruno. Anyway, we'll be receiving a blueprint of the base shortly."

Sakura glared. She wasn't fond of being called by her last name so icily; but she soon shook the feeling off, waiting to listen to the details.

"Once we get that, get ready. Be training and be on your guard. We don't know how many people in this base there are, and it's possible we've already been found out."

They all nodded.

"I'll call you when I receive it, then."

They disappeared, going their separate ways, enjoying the slight break from the trauma and confusion of what had happened.**  
**

* * *

The stars were soon nearing their time to shine on the Earth, and Tenten scrambled out of bed, the day's fatigue completely removed from a long nap. The rolled up piece of paper beside her lay untouched, the fading daylight soon proving it hard for her to make sure every detail on the paper was correct. Soon, she fixed her appearance up, threw on a jacket and scarf, and made her way out of the base. 

"_Where do you think you're going?"_

Tenten opened the door and was met with her brother's icy gaze, once again ashamed to bear the same eyes.

"I'm going out. Now _move, _Jigoku!"

"_Last time I let you out, you didn't come until morning. You stay in. Forever." _

Tenten growled and pushed past her brother, the piece of paper tucked in one of her jacket pockets. Her brother's quick reflexes grabbed her by the wrist tightly, and pulled her back inside, his eyes gleaming with pleasure from seeing her painful look.

"_Let me out, Jigoku! We can settle the score when you __**die! **__Now __**move!**__" _

Tenten broke away from his death grip, and disappeared, her brother feeling the rush of artificial wind as she broke out of the base. He smiled.

"_Aww, Tenny-chan wants to see her little friends?"_**  
**

* * *

Tenten once again found herself staring at the Hyuuga prodigy, a light blanket of snow slowly covering his body with the cold. She lingered away from him for a moment, but soon made her way towards him, her heart seeming to pound against her chest every step she took. When she reached him, his eyes were closed as always, and his breathing was regulated and calm. She quietly took a seat next to him, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence. 

"Tenten."

After several moments, she turned when she heard her name. She was met with his gentle pearl orbs, and she smiled, pulling the roll of paper out of her jacket.

"Here. I made sure everything was perfect."

Neji nodded and took the paper, unrolling it and studying its contents. He mentally noted that it was designed in a way that intruders had a one way track most of the time, the hallways narrow and lines of defenders set up in random places. He scanned it over and over, trying to find a foolproof part of the design, but alone, he could find nothing.

"Thank you," he said.

Tenten replied with a smile and closed her eyes, her mind drifting off and forgetting about the troubles of her family and her past. She sensed Neji drift off as he meditated, and she smiled once more. Whenever she was around him, all she could feel was serenity. But she found that there was always a lingering feeling in her heart, eating at her, screaming at her, like it knew something that she didn't.

"Let me see your wrists."

Tenten's eyes snapped open and she stared at Neji, her eyes gently questioning him. She found no answers, and instead held out her hands, and she shivered when she felt his cold hands press against her skin. His calloused fingers traced the deep marks that Jigoku had left when he held her, and she felt so fragile under his touch.

"Did Jigoku do this?"

Tenten remained silent and looked away. Neji decided not to pursue the subject further, and gently let her arms go back to her sides. She looked at him questioningly, wishing she could feel his warm touch once more. He gave her a soft smile and got up, offering her his hand once more. She gratefully took it, and hoisted herself up.

"Thanks for the map, Tenten. I need to get going."

Tenten nodded.

"Y-yes. I need to get back before Jigoku seriously kills me."

"He can't do that."

Tenten looked at him surprised, her heart once again pounding against her chest.

"Thanks, Neji."

Neji nodded, and they both began walking towards their destinations, both soaking in the warmth of each other's presence.

Soon, they reached the intersection where they would part ways. Neji stopped abruptly, Tenten stopping with him. They stared at each other silently, each wanting to say something but not knowing the words to say it. Tenten's heart once again screamed at her in agony, lifting and twisting, bring a weird sensation of happiness and pain.

"Tenten..."

She looked at Neji curiously, and before she knew what happened, he leaned forward and closed the gap between their lips. Tenten closed her eyes and timidly replied, her heart once again screaming with agony but lifting with unsaid bliss. Her intense migraine returned, and Neji soon realized what he was doing, and broke away from her, his eyes dazed.

"N...Neji?" She asked, trying to fight the intense migraine.

"I'm sorry."

He spared her one last glance and walked away. Tenten stared for moments on end, wondering why he had done what he did, and why she _replied. _He...he was a _stranger._

...But she felt something.

But...she didn't _know _him! Why would he...?

Her thoughts were cut off when her migraine intensified, and she soon hurried to find the comfort of her bed once more.

* * *

"This place is almost intruder-proof. The hallways seem so narrow that only two people can fit at a time," Naruto exclaimed. 

The ninja sat in silence, all examining the map Neji had brought back home. All had placed complete focus on the map before them, numbing out any distractions. All hadn't been able to find an opening in the building, until Hinata spoke up.

"Look here."

Hinata pointed her fragile fingers to a spot where Tenten designated as an intersection. There were also three lines of defenders on each hallway. Hinata then pointed to the spot where Tenten had stated the height and width of the hallways.

"It's not as tall as we would think it would be. It's only five feet tall. All of us will have to crouch, and so will the enemies. Tenten says each hallway should be able to fit two people at most, and so there will be a line of six defenders. But if you look here, Tenten marked an uplift of the ceiling, making it at least seven feet tall."

They all listened intently to Hinata's explanation.

"There isn't another line of defenders in all hallways for about a quarter of a mile, and Tenten jot down that while walking, it took her ten minutes to reach another line, which means it may only take us four. If we time our break right, we'll be able to jam the defenders in that one long hallway before the division, and maneuver ourselves to trick the defenders and continue on. Tenten marked her room at least a mile from this hallway, and I suppose that's where Jigoku will be as well."

They all nodded. They liked Hinata's plan.

"Nii-san will take front, and take the hallway that leads straight to Tenten's room. Sasuke and Sakura will take the middle, and take the hallway that has the longest line and connection of defenders. Naruto and I will take the last hallway, which turns into the room that Tenten supposedly says is a computer room from all the lights and noise she picked up on her walk. When we finish, there's a secret hallway behind here, and we'll all meet up at Tenten's room."

It took them a few hours of scan the map, memorize the plan, and memorize the map by memory. It took Sasuke and Neji no problem, but took the others longer due to their lack of prodigy skills. When everyone had completely memorized the map and plan by heart, Neji rolled up the paper and stuffed it in his drawer.

"Get some rest. We start at the break of dawn."

"...Wouldn't it be better to infiltrate this at night?" Sakura asked.

Neji stared into her emerald orbs and shrugged indifferently.

"Don't you think it'll be enjoyable to see agony on their faces?"

Sakura smiled. They never really were the sadists, but when they stole their beloved Tenten for two years and erased part of her memory, putting her life at stake, they indeed became the sadistic type.**  
**

* * *

**A/N**: Hey guys! This story is sadly drawing to a close. D: In a chapter or so, BAM it's done. 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Next time! Will Hinata's plan work, or will the team be trapped? What will happen between Tenten and Jigoku? Will their final score be settled?

Find out soon! Thanks for reading!

Also, would you guys be interested in a new SasuSaku story? I'm brainstorming on a new fanfic, since this one is drawing to a close. Let's see...I have two in mind, but...hm. The titles and descriptions are still rough, of course. They were random ideas that popped into my head.

**Blind – **Her eyes were the most precious things that set her apart from others. But when cold metal slashes her irises closed forever, what will happen of her kunoichi career? This'll turn out to be an unexpected SasuSaku type thing. I'm not so sure about this one.

**Pressure Points – **She was one of the top students in one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world. Follow her as she goes through pressure, drama, love, and heartbreak. I'm still working on a summary for this one, iono.

If you guys have any ideas or suggestions you want me to do, feel free to drop in some reviews. :)


	16. Smile Upon Me

**A Thousand Miles**  
_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 15 – **_Smile Upon Me_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Thanks for your reviews! The final battle is here! I'm really sorry for a freakishly long chapter. Ahaha. Just call it a two-chapter-in-one thing. I hope you enjoy it. Excuse my sucky battle scenes, yeah? XD

* * *

The five Konoha ninja awoke before dawn broke over the horizon, all tidying up and getting prepared for the difficult infiltration they would have to complete in less than four hours. All were clad in their ANBU attire, their masks hanging atop the side of their heads (like how Kakashi wore his? Right. Like that), ready to be brought to hide their faces. 

Neji sat on his bed, his eyes closed in meditation. Butterflies of nervousness were set aflutter in his stomach, eating away at his confidence and sanity. His mind was wandering to all the memories he had shared with Tenten, from the time they had first met in Academy, to the day that he had unconsciously kissed her. He quietly cursed for losing such self-control; to her, he was just a _stranger. _It was unusual for a _stranger _to randomly kiss someone. But then again, she had given him a peck on the cheek that morning, so perhaps he could call it even.

He sighed, and slowly got up from his position when he felt the gentle winds rattle at the rusty inn windows. He looked at the world outside of him, his pearl orbs observing the village before them. Gentle blankets of snow were falling, the snowstorms and blizzards gone until the next winter came. His eyes caught a glimpse of sunlight, and he jumped off his bed and closed his door behind him.

It was time to infiltrate the Akatsuki.

* * *

Neji stood in front of the hidden entrance of the base, his mind fighting off his hesitation. Hinata stood beside him, offering him a sense of relief that nobody else on the team could. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto stood behind them, all watching the entrance curiously. 

"Let's go."

All five pulled on their masks, and disappeared.

* * *

The five traveled quickly and efficiently, making it to the intersection in a mere ten minutes, having taken care of the lines of defenders easily and proficiently. They stopped short of the entrance, observing the features of the area. It was just as Tenten had marked: as the hallway broke into three, there was an uplift of the ceiling of two feet, making it easier to break and take out the defenders. 

"Remember. Meet at Tenten's room."

Neji saw them nod with his Byakugan, and with a simple nod of his head, they broke off into the separate groups.

Neji was met with a large amount of defenders, the hallway leading to Tenten's room with a horrific amount of security. Weighing the situation, he looked up at the ceiling. Finding his break, he waited as the defenders charged towards him. As they came into range, all were brought down by his powerful Jyuuken. When Neji sensed more forces coming, he infused chakra to his legs, and jumped onto the seven-foot tall ceiling. He began to run on the ceiling for as long as the uplift lasted.

"_Up there."_

Neji looked down with his smirk hidden by his mask, and inwardly laughed at their dumb antics. They had thrown off a wave of kunai, senbon, and shuriken, in hopes to damage him and force him to come down. Instead, he performed the Kaiten, which rebounded to most of them, bringing them down by the incredible force. After a quick battle in which he hardly broke a sweat, he continued on his way, reaching the half-way point.

"_That's as far as you get."_

Neji's eyes widened, and he jumped down from the ceiling, facing none other than...

* * *

"_Damn, Sasuke."_

Sakura whispered in a huff to her partner beside her, scanning the lines of defenders that lay in their path. She had at least seen thirty, all separated in two and distanced efficiently. Sasuke's three tomoe were swirling dangerously fast, looking for an opening. The ceiling was only six feet at tallest in their portion of the hallway, making it less efficient for a break. Sakura looked at the floor and back up the ceiling, and nudged the concentrating Uchiha beside her.

"Hey, I've got a diversion plan."

Sasuke cast her a quick glance, then returned to the hallway, making sure that his chakra levels, and Sakura's, were still well hidden from the defending ninja.

"Do your Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu, while I stay behind and wait for your flame to die down. When it's nearly gone, I'll release my chakra; they won't realize I'm there until it's too late."

Sasuke nodded.

"Let's go."

Sasuke rushed into the line of defending ninja, the ninja beginning to perform hand seals. Before they could finish, they were interrupted by a loud roar.

"_Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

The ninja were overwhelmed by the sudden burst of flame, and some screamed in agony. Sakura nodded to Sasuke, and jumped in front of him, punching the floor upon her impact. A large tremor hit the ninja, causing the ground to split and deform, some parts of the Earth jutting out like icicles. Some impaled the ninja's feet; others fell from the tremor. They were defeated; the flame of the Goukakyuu and the rush of Sakura's chakra made sure that they were either knocked out or dead.

"That's probably only the beginning," Sasuke whispered.

Sakura smiled.

"Silly Sasu-chan. This is the most fun of all the infiltrations we've done yet! I haven't even broken a sweat."

Sasuke nodded.

"Let's go."**  
**

* * *

"Naruto-kun..." 

"We can do this, Hinata."

"Hai."

The two continued on, watching carefully as they advanced.

"_Stop right there."_

Naruto and Hinata's eyes widened with surprise and temporary fear. They were met with a line of Hyuugas, all wearing arrogant smirks on their faces.

"Well, if it isn't little _weak _Hinata."

Hinata clenched her fists. She recognized some. Some had plotted with the Cloud Ninja about her kidnapping, and had even suggested that her father must _die. _After the mishap of Neji's father, her uncle, dying, they fled away from the clan, most likely scared by Hiashi's wrath.

"_I'm so much different than before."_

She heard sneers come from the Hyuuga, but she refused to rush in so rashly without thinking of a plan. Naruto, however, stepped in front of her protectively, his body seeming to let off a red tint of chakra.

"Naruto-kun, _calm down!"_

Hinata frowned when he shook his head. He turned around to face her, his blue orbs flared from his visible chakra.

"_You're not weak anymore. And I won't take this."_

Tears nearly rushed from the Hyuuga heiress's eyes, and she nodded, shining with newfound determination. Again, she heard the taunting sneers of her disowned relatives, and she stepped beside Naruto, her Byakugan activated.

"_I'll bring back honor to our family name! You disgraced us with your pathetic excuses, fled from my father's wrath, unable to fight with your dignity. So fight _me, _and show me that you still protect your Hyuuga name!"_

Hinata gave Naruto a small nod, and in split seconds, the two appeared before the Hyuuga, delivering devastating blows to the two, unlucky Hyuuga who stood in the front lines. In another split second, the hallway became a large, deafening echo of yells and screams. Naruto had charged through the left side, pushing the ninja back with his growing power, the Kyuubi's chakra released within him.

"_Rasengan!" _

Hinata swerved to the side after a wave of kunai rushed for her, and listened to the agonizing cries of the ninja that had been unlucky enough to finally face the power of the Rasengan. She let off a small smile, and ran forward to the advancing Hyuuga. There were loud bangs as chakra was released from their hands, their fatal jabs always nearly missing each other.

"_Damn!"_

Hinata's focus was diverted to Naruto's groan of pain. She looked and saw him clutching his arm, his fox-like glare firing holes into the Hyuuga that stood before him. Hinata looked at Naruto's blocked chakra point, a nearly vital one that went through to the hand to allow the release. She was amazed, however, when an abnormal swirl of red chakra and the Kyuubi's taunting face go through his body, the chakra point back to doing its job.

"_Pay attention to yourself, little Hinata!" _

Hinata quickly dodged the fatal jab, and her eyes were met with ferocious pearl orbs, ones that nearly reminded her of Neji.

"_Grandfather?"_

Hinata's hatred and fire soon rushed forth, and her jabs became more accurate, precise, and fatal. Her grandfather was once part of the council, and had given the bad news about the Cloud asking for a life in return for the one lost. He had said it without passion, worry, or concern, for his son, that it made her hate him. He cared not for her, but for the 'good of the clan'. To him, she was just a weakling that his son had shamefully fathered. Her grandfather was the one that had placed Hizashi into the Branch family, due to his birth only seconds later. Her _grandfather _was the root of all the hatred that she and Neji had felt towards each other and towards their own clan.

"_How you've grown. How is...oh, what's his name? Neji?"_

"_He's here, grandfather."_

"_And?"_

"_Die."_

Before Hinata knew what hit her, she jabbed to the most fatal chakra point – the one that regulated the heart and how much chakra was delivered to the rest of the body. She continued to jab precisely, years of hard work and sparring with Neji showing off after all his chakra points were permanently closed. Her grandfather stared in awe as he fell, blood slowly trickling down his lips. Hinata spared him one last glance, and found Naruto at the far end of the lines, his trademark smile on his face.

"Well, I'm sure that most Hyuugas won't like me. I took down Neji, and now all this batch. Jeez."

Hinata smiled.

"And I killed Grandfather."

Naruto remained silent while Hinata tried her hardest to suppress her tears.

"Let's go."

Naruto nodded.**  
**

* * *

_What the hell is happening?_

Neji stared into familiar orbs that he had long forgotten but forever cherished. His pearl orbs gazed into the man – or perhaps not even a man, anymore – standing in front of him. There were no words for him to say, his voice completely swallowed up in his throat.

"_...I'm...sorry..."_

Neji felt a change in the air, an unnatural gush of wind heading for him. He swerved to the side and caught the man's hands, his death grip keeping the man in place.

"_What the hell is happening?"_

Neji jumped up and infused chakra in his legs to catch the ceiling, and he stared as the blank eyes of the one he lost stared back at him, a stoic expression present on the man's face. The man once again charged, and managed to jab Neji in his stomach. Neji flipped backwards from impact.

"_I don't...but I have to."_

Neji rushed forward, jabbing away at the man's pressure points. Always he kept missing, the man quick enough to dash away and swerve his body. Neji shut his eyes for concentration and for answers.

"_Please help me."_

His Byakugan caught the man's movement, and Neji took this opening to get all the chakra points in his body. The man fell backwards, his body slowly disintegrating and flying off into the atmosphere.

"_I...held back. I'm sorry."_

With a final smile, the man disappeared, leaving Neji confused and distraught. He had...just fought with his father. And as quick as it had come, he had gone.

"_Damn it, Jigoku!" _

Neji's mind snapped and he continued to rush forward. He had no time to figure out how Jigoku had managed to pull off such an insane jutsu; Tenten may as well be in danger.**  
**

* * *

Jigoku and Tenten had moved outside, their feet nearly covered in snow. A gentle blanket was falling over them, gentle winds bringing in the last rushes of winter cold. Their chestnut orbs watched each other with such ferocity and intensity that the world around them had seemed to tremble in fear. Each time Jigoku took a step towards Tenten, Tenten did the same. In truth, they were brother and sister, having similar ways of thinking, their abilities and prowess exceptionally level. 

"Do you see them, Jigoku?" Tenten hissed.

"_Neither do you!" _

"Then let's see who they smile upon. The one that killed them, or the one that wasn't killed!"

In a matter of seconds, the two siblings jumped off from the ground, both moving their hands furiously to create the right hand signs.

"_Sōshōryū!" _

Tenten swirled higher and higher, her twin dragons providing her protection as she threw her weapons with accuracy. Her brother, however, had summoned something similar, and both were thrown into the draws of their aerial-style combat.

"_Damn it, Jigoku!" _

Tenten continued to force herself higher into the atmosphere, her brother doing the same. She threw a wave of kunai and senbon around him, all tangling themselves around him. Tenten jumped upon the fragile strings, years of training teaching her how to keep the strings intact without breaking them.

"_Things like that won't work!" _

With a few hand signs, fire came from his mouth, and Tenten jumped off the strings, infusing chakra into her legs, allowing her to walk on air.

"_So you mastered the secrets of our clan with nothing left, eh? How'd you manage to do that?"_

"_Instinct."_

Tenten whirled and threw another wave of kunai, one of them managing to snag her brother in the shoulder. He heard his hiss of pain, and he appeared before her, and kicked her down towards the Earth. Tenten groaned in pain, and twirled around.

"_Sōshōryū!" _

Once more, her twin dragons helped her stay aerial, throwing a barrage of weapons at her brother. He expertly maneuvered himself out of the way, and Tenten once again threw out her senbon, the chakra strings tangling around him. She jumped onto them and ran towards her brother. Before she was in reach, she disappeared, and kicked him down. Jigoku fell towards the Earth, but soon infused chakra back into his legs and jumped back up.

_This isn't as easy as I thought it would be...her aerial maneuvering is well worked out, spaced, and planned. I never thought she'd be able to master the Bukiwa hidden secrets with nobody left. Instinct, tch._**  
**

* * *

Neji quickly dashed into Tenten's open room, his eyes wandering and seeing it empty. There was glass all over the floor, her window broken into pieces. He found drops of blood here and there, and he found many kunai that were impaled on the floor, leaving permanent damages on the building. 

_Not that it matters though. This building is going down._

He heard Tenten's loud yell, and instantly ran out of the window, and found an amazing sight to see. Up in the air, farther than he had ever seen Tenten go, was an aerial battle between herself and Jigoku. He found many of the techniques that had taken her well over two years to master being played out as if they were as easy to do as to eat cookies.

* * *

Tenten gasped in pain when she was once again kicked down. She was never an expert in aerial combat, but on a mission to the northwestern parts of the land, she had met the origin of her ancestry (though she didn't know it at the time). The people there were weapon-oriented, and she had seen many of them sparring in the air. When she walked into one of these spars, the two looked at her, questioning each other with silent gazes. Tenten, of course, shook this off at the time, and asked them to teach her. Once more they exchanged glances, but agreed nonetheless. 

_She's Bukiwa Hanataro's daughter. Why is she...?_

After the reasonably long time spent learning the aerial-style combats, Gai, Lee, and Neji had called her back, and she expressed her deepest gratitude and left them. The two looked at each other when she was gone, and stared as the buns atop her head bobbed as she ran towards her team.

"That was one of the first things Hanataro would've taught his daughter. The last I heard, his first son, Jigoku, was skilled, and even went through the Konoha ranks as if it were nothing."

"It's obvious her accuracy is that of Hanataro's. But...did something happen, do you wonder? It's an unusual sight to see a Bukiwa not knowing aerial-style combat, considering that they're from here."

"Come to think of it, we haven't heard from cousin Hanataro in a while."

"You think something happened?"

"That must have been Tenten. She must be at least in her sixteens. Perhaps something did happen. But never the mind. She knows the true style of her origin, and that is all that matters."

"Have you heard from Jigoku?"

"...No."**  
**

* * *

Jigoku grinned when he continued to kick his sister down, unable to give her an opening to remain aerial. Tenten waited for an opening, enduring the immense pain from the force of her brother's kicks. Finally, when he prepared for a vertical round-house kick, Tenten took this opening and kicked upwards, and twirled back, infusing chakra to her feet once more, and kicked off. She disappeared and appeared above him, and kicked him downwards. Jigoku groaned in pain and surprise. 

_Damn. I need to get serious._

Jigoku began performing hand signs, and before Tenten knew it, she was stopped in mid-air, her body caught in some sort of paralysis jutsu. Jigoku jumped up and stayed level with her, a maniacal tint in his eyes. Without knowing what hit her, Tenten was thrown into an unusual genjutsu, and she was thrown into a barrage of weapons. She screamed in pain.**  
**

* * *

Neji's eyes opened in concern and worry, unable to see what Jigoku was doing to Tenten. All he could see was that Tenten was falling, a trail of blood following her as she plummeted towards the Earth. Neji ran towards the point where she would fall, knowing that Tenten had lost the aerial battle.

* * *

_Damn it! _

Tenten closed her eyes helplessly, her legs not cooperating as she plummeted towards the Earth. The unusual genjutsu had caused her to lose feeling in her legs, making it impossible for her to pump chakra into them.

_My...hands can still move..._

In split seconds, Tenten caught a warm drift, and used this to twirl herself. She smiled. Her brother was too caught up in falling after her to deliver the final blow to notice.

"_Sōshōryū!" _

Tenten's twin dragons burst out and seemed to catch her before she hit the ground. Tenten threw the barrage of weapons, her brother too caught up in his 'apparent' victory to notice. Before he had time to react, many of her weapons impaled through his skin.

"_Agh!" _

Tenten smiled in victory, and allowed herself to freefall towards the Earth, the aerial battle over as her brother zoomed past her and hit the snow-covered floor. Tenten closed her eyes as she heard her brother's cry of agony as the impact took its toll on his body, her smile of triumph still present on her lips.

_Well...I guess..._

She continued to fall, waiting for the deadly impact. But it never came. Instead, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, and she looked up and saw the face of _her _beautiful stranger.

"N-Neji?"

Her cheeks became a faint rose as he gently put her on her feet, his rare smile present on his lips.

"You've never gone that high before."

Tenten stared in surprise. She turned away and looked at her brother's body, bleeding and staining the beautiful, white snow. His lips were formed in a deep frown, his eyes closed. His breathing was light and fading.

"_Tenny-chan...do you see them smiling?"_

Tenten closed her eyes and thought for a few moments, the darkness of her mind searching for answers and that one sliver of hope. Soon, the faded, yet bright, images of her mother, her father, and her _clan, _appeared before her, smiles present on their faces. Tears began to flow from Tenten's closed orbs, and she gently held her brother's hand in hers.

"Hai, Nii-chan. Even after all you did, Kaa-san loves us equally, don't you know?"

Jigoku managed to let off a smile that was genuine, his insanity to kill his sister long gone. When she had beaten him in aerial combat without the help of their clan, he truly understood why his father had smiled upon her that day. She was innocent, naïve, and strong, but she didn't boast of her power like he did. She was a perfect little girl, whose problems of others took priority to her own.

"Tenten, kill me. Please."

Tenten looked at him and found his smile to remain forever present on his lips, his eyes closed in fatigue. He knew his life was done.

"I...it'll make all of us proud. Father's most precious daughter...Kaa-san's heaven on the earth...Please, Tenten, kill me. It will do all of us justice. But I can't let you have your memory back, there's no reversing it from me. But...it will come back, I promise."

Tenten looked at her brother intently, and he showed her his chestnut orbs one last time. His smile grew wider and he took hold of his younger sister's hand, and gripped it tightly. He nodded to her, and Tenten shakily got out the last of her remaining kunai, and stared at it.

"I..."

Jigoku closed his eyes one last time, waiting for her. He knew that eventually, she'd be able to come to terms with it, and accept that it was her fate as a younger sibling to kill her older brother. She began to lower the kunai, her hands shaking. Her kunai lay close to her brother's neck, blood already trickling from his skin. She lay there in hesitation.

"_Tenten, kill me. Please!" _

Tenten winced at her brother's desperation, and slowly she continued to push the kunai deeper into her brother's neck.

"I..."

She pulled her hand back, but she felt Neji's firm hand above hers, keeping the kunai in place. Surprised, she turned to face him, and she was met with another rare smile.

"He wants this. Don't take it away from him."

Tenten nodded, and before they slashed the jugular, Jigoku spoke up one last time.

"Tenten...I'm sorry. _Thank you..." _

Tenten once again tried to pull back, but Neji's firm hand kept hers in place. Neji nodded, and in one quick motion, Jigoku was gone.

"I...Neji..."

Neji shook his head and got up, pulling Tenten with him. Tenten looked at him questioningly, and he shook his head once more.

"You need to get some rest."

He began walking towards Tenten's room, and Tenten followed.

"N-Neji! Wait!"

Neji slowed his pace and waited for Tenten to catch up to him, and was surprised when she took hold of his hand and intertwined their fingers together. Tenten gave him a soft, pleading smile.

"Please...stay with me tonight. I...I can't..."

Neji nodded.

"Hai."**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **I am SOOOOOO sorry for the FREAKISHLY long chapter. Uhm, so...I hoped you enjoyed my sucky battle scenes and all. :D Anyway...next chapter is the EPIC ending of A Thousand Miles! For the heck of it, and for the mood, I really appreciate and enjoy all your reviews. Thanks for making my first Naruto story a success! And on that matter, my new story, **Pressure Points, **is up. Please go check it out if you have time :)

Let's see. I have no clue about Hinata's grandfather, and for the sake of the story, just pretend, yeah:D

Next time! The Konoha ninja's time in the Snow are over. Will Tenten go back with them? Will she ever regain her memory?

Find out in the last chapter of A Thousand Miles!


	17. Final Distance

**A Thousand Miles  
**_Written by BokchoiBaboy_

**Chapter 16 – **_Final Distance_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto  
**A/N: **Oh em gee! A Thousand Miles is over when you read the last words of this page. D: It's sad to see this come to an end, but as always, I appreciate your reviews and support!  
I hope I made this ending worthwhile.**  
**

* * *

Neji silently stared at the sleeping girl before him, his eyes downcast and beginning to sag from fatigue. Tenten's chest heaved up and down in a normal pattern, her face showing the expression of content. Neji noticed her lips formed in a tiny, upward curve. Perhaps she was dreaming of her family, and of the memories that she had not lost. 

"_Nnn...Nii-chan, I keep missing by a centimeter..."_

Tenten turned in her bed, her body facing Neji. He managed to let off a soft smile. She sounded so childish and so free when she spoke in her sleep. Sometimes, he was envious of her carefree manner. Without meditating or concentration, she was able to find peace within herself that he himself had not yet mastered. He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"HEY WE...oh, sorry," Naruto said, noticing the sleeping girl beside Neji.

The four walked in, silently in respect to Tenten's slumber. Neji gave them an acknowledging nod, and once again watched the girl before him. They gathered around her, their eyes closed to rest from a long day.

"How is she?" Hinata whispered.

"She defeated Jigoku. It was an interesting sight to see."

"How so?" Sakura asked.

"Aerial-style combat is certainly a technique to master if you go to the northwest."

The four smiled and nodded in agreement. On missions, they had all seen the aerial-style combat that Neji spoke of, and all wished that they could learn it someday.

"Uhm...concerning the base," Sakura began.

Everyone, excluding Tenten, stared at her.

"You know how we _always _destroy these kinds of bases, right?" She asked.

"Let's get out of here," Neji said.

Picking up Tenten, he disappeared. Everyone gathered Tenten's belongings, and soon followed suite. A few moments after they had gone, the base was gone in a burst of flame, taking the memories, the people, and the battles in its heated fire.

* * *

Tenten awoke in darkness, the stars and the moon outside of the window the only source of light within the room. Sitting up to be able to see where exactly she was, she found the room familiar, with a familiar, soothing scent. Across from her, she found Neji sleeping soundly, and to the side, the same clock she had looked at the last time she was in here. On the floor by her bed, she found all her belongings that were left in the base, and she smiled. 

_Sakura and the gang must have brought them back for me._

Her eyes focused on the clock, and found that it read _12:00 AM. _She sighed. The battle between her brother and herself had completely worn her out, and the last she remembered was sleeping on her bed in that white room with Neji watching over her.

_Jigoku..._

Her lips formed a tiny frown from the thought that her brother, her last living family, was gone. She knew that perhaps somewhere in the northwest, the clan that had helped her master aerial combat could indeed be her relatives. But it seemed that it didn't matter; her family was forever watching her, and that was all she needed. Her brother, too, was watching her, wherever he was in life, knowing that he would only smile with his parents when she accomplished something new.

_He said...I wonder who...my...beloved is._

Tenten let off a sigh of relief when the thought of her 'beloved' did not bring her an intense migraine. Her eyes wandered to the rusty windows, where the glittering diamonds sewn onto the onyx sky watched above her. Her mind wandered to the memories she had shared with her family and her brother before it was all gone.

"Tenten?"

Tenten turned and let off a soft smile as Neji stirred.

"You can go back to sleep, you know," she softly said.

She was surprised when he shook his head, and slowly sat up, his pearl orbs seeming to forever watch her. She let off a sigh and plopped back down on her bed, her eyes looking to find patterns in the ceiling of the room.

"I...I can't really sleep. I...I still can't get over that..."

"...I killed him as well. The burden isn't completely yours," came his cool reply.

Tenten opened her mouth to say something, but closed it once more, not knowing words to say. She sat up when she heard Neji's quiet footsteps, and watched him carefully as he began tidying up his things.

"...When are you leaving?" She asked.

Neji gazed at her for a few moments, but soon looked away.

"Soon."

They were once again met with an awkward silence. Tenten turned and faced the wall, trying her hardest to catch more sleep. When Neji was sure that he wouldn't be able to see her, he took out the golden locket and stared at it.

_I can't give this to her yet..._

"Neji? What are you looking at?"

Neji quickly pocketed the locket and walked towards her, his gentle pearl orbs gazing at her. She fought back an urge to blush, and stared with as much intensity as he did. Tenten was surprised when she felt his calloused, yet gentle, hands brush against her cheeks. She gave him a questioning gaze, and was met with his genuine smile.

"Go to sleep. You need the rest."

She held back the strongest urge to whimper in protest when his hand left her cheeks, but closed her eyes nonetheless, finally able to drift off into full slumber.

* * *

Tenten awoke when she felt soft light filtering through the windows. She was about to get up when she heard faint voices around her. 

"_You're not coming with us, Neji?"_

"_No."_

"_Why not? It'll be easier to come back with us. If there were survivors to our attack, then they might come for you..."_

"_...I'm waiting for Tenten."_

"_But she may never get her memory back, Nii-san! She may not even trust you enough! After all, you two are just...strangers! Friends! It's..."_

"_She still remembers Konoha, doesn't she?"_

_Silence._

"_I'm still waiting, Hinata-sama."_

_A soft sigh._

"_Alright. We'll see you in a week or so? With Tenten, of course."_

"_Hai. See you."_

"_Bye, Neji!"_

* * *

Tenten once again awoke in full darkness, her head slightly pounding from so much sleep. She quietly scrambled out of bed, taking note of the slumbering man in the same room. The voices she had heard when she had awoken earlier that day echoed through her skull. 

_I'm waiting for Tenten..._

_But she may never get her memory back...she may not even trust you enough! After all, you two are just...strangers! Friends! It's..._

_I'm still waiting..._

Her eyes wandered to the world outside of the rusty inn window. She could see the last of the snowfall for the year gently falling, the world looking like the stars were falling from the night sky. She let off a faint smile. She had met Neji in midwinter, and now that the season was over, it was hard to believe that so much time had passed between them.

_Are you...leaving me?_

She closed her chestnut orbs, trying to suppress her tears. The fact that Neji may leave her scared her. Even though she _heard _him say that he would wait, would he wait forever?

_Why...Why do I feel this way about you?_

* * *

Neji quietly got out of bed, taking note of the sleeping girl in the room. He quietly packed his things, making sure that he had left nothing behind. He gazed at Tenten with his pearl orbs, a gentle smile present on his lips. Pocketing the locket, he took it out, the charm swirling on its golden chain. 

_I love you._

The words engraved there still remained in perfect shape and forever would.

_As long as the feelings remain...so will the scars._

Getting a piece of paper off of the notepads the inn provided, and the pen that came with it as well, he wrote a note. Quietly ripping the paper off the pad, he placed it on the drawer next to Tenten, the locket wrapped in a last-minute made envelope.

_Will you come with me?_

Neji leaned down and gave Tenten a quick kiss on the forehead, gathered his things, and closed the inn door behind him, leaving the slumbering girl and the memories in the Snow behind him.**  
**

* * *

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the rusty inn window, penetrating the glass and shining upon Tenten. Her eyes flickered open, her body fully regenerated from the battle a few days before. She got up, stretching her sore body, loving the feeling of being fully rested and recovered. Her eyes wandered to the smooth bed before her, and she panicked. Had he already left without her? 

Her eyes caught a shine on the drawer, and she picked up the note and makeshift envelope.

_Tenten,_

_I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in advance, as my decision for this was quick. If you want to come with me back to Konoha, meet me at the village gates tomorrow at 7:00 AM._

_-Neji_

Her eyes reread the ink over and over. She knew she was longing to return home to Konoha, to all the people she remembered and held dear. But there was still a question of Jigoku that rang through her ears.

_Your beloved..._

She wondered who in the world it was, and why she felt such a mutual attraction to Neji. She sat on her bed, pondering and weighing the best decision to make. The object in the envelope became the farthest thing from her mind.**  
**

* * *

Neji quietly stared at the sleeping village before him, his place in the field where he and Tenten sparred beginning to thaw with from the coming spring warmth. He loved staying in the Village Hidden in the Snow, hearing the children's joyous laughter from getting hit by a snowball, and the overall tranquility of the village seeming to be heartwarming. It had some sort of serenity that even Konoha couldn't offer him, but he knew that his real place lay in Konoha, where he had the family and the friends. 

_I leave soon..._

His stomach began to flutter with butterflies of anxiety. He knew that there was a large possibility that Tenten may not come back with him, just because that she hadn't regained her memory of him back. His heart seemed to lift at the small possibility that Tenten may come. Neji knew that even if she never truly regained her memory of him, he could start over.

He was never one to start over, but he knew that Tenten was worth it. He loved her for such a long time, he would do anything to see her happy, even if she didn't completely love him back. He had walked such a long distance to see her, and he would keep walking to stay by her side, even if she wasn't his lover anymore. The only thing that watered was that _he _loved her. And that was enough.

* * *

Tenten awoke at the break of dawn, her body enjoying the warmth of the warmer sun. Her eyes wandered to the clock. 

_6:45 AM._

She got out of bed, and quickly threw on her clothes. She felt that something big was happening today, but...

_Damn!_

Realization hit her when she caught the makeshift envelope and note beside the clock.

_Do I...want to go with you, Neji? I barely know you._

She grabbed the envelope and began to open it, the sun reflecting off the shining, gold object. Tears rushed to her eyes as the familiar gold locket lay in her hands, her tears spilling onto the smooth surface.

_Neji! Please...please wait for me like you always do...I'm so sorry..._

* * *

Neji let off a tired sigh as he patiently waited by the village gates. 

_7:30 AM._

A deep frown found its way on his pale lips.

_What if she doesn't want to come...?_

Bitterness began to encompass his heart once more, but he shook the feeling away as he gave the serene village one last glance before turning away. Each step he took, he felt his heart tear to pieces. Tenten wasn't beside him...

"_Neji!"_

He stopped in surprise when he felt her slender arms wrap around him, the back of his jacket becoming damp from her flow of tears. He stood there, not knowing what to do when he heard her sobs.

"Neji...I'm...so sorry..."

Gently taking her arms in his, he turned around, and found Tenten's chestnut orbs gently gazing into his, shining from her shed tears, a gentle smile playing on her lips. His eyes caught the golden shine of her locket, and he let off a relieved smile.

"Tenten?"

"I'm so sorry, Neji!"

He looked at her puzzled. He was supposed to be a stranger, only a friend. So why was she doing this? Before he was able to process what was happening, he felt her warm lips lock with hers. His heart lifted when he felt the compassion that was locked away for what seemed like eternity emerge from the depths. He once again gave her a puzzled look, and she once again embraced him.

"I'm sorry I forgot you."

Neji's eyes widened in surprise.

"You remember me?"

Tenten let off a strained laugh.

"Now I do. I'm sorry I forgot you."

Neji gave her a genuine smile and returned the embrace, the feeling of warmth that left him confused and bitter during his stay here blossoming into that of what he had felt long before. Tenten smiled into the fabric of his jacket when she finally felt his warm arms wrap around her in a loving embrace. She wondered how she was able to make it for two years without feeling the emotions that were flooding from her now.

Tenten looked upwards into Neji's pearl orbs, a heavenly smile present on her lips.

"I love you, Neji."

His orbs began to shine with unshed tears of bliss as he locked his lips with hers once more, their hearts seeming to beat in perfect sync. When they finally broke away for air, the smile on his lips made Tenten's heart lift with joy and happiness.

"I love you, too."

Their worlds were finally complete, both feeling the joys of their completed hearts. Tenten released herself from Neji's hold and intertwined their fingers together, her chestnut orbs shining with the bliss and completeness that Neji hadn't seen since she had last left Konoha. He grinned when he saw the woman he loved blossom into the person that she truly was after a grueling jutsu, and allowed her to lead the two of them away from the village where they had had to start all over again.

"Let's go home, Neji," she softly said, her eyes gently gazing at him.

"You've walked far enough."**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **It's sad that this story has come to a close. D: I hope you enjoyed my ending, because for once, I certainly did. Anyway, I would like to express billions of thanks and gratitude for you lovely people who stayed with this fic until the end. Your support and reviews really hit it off, and I really appreciate all of it. 

I'll probably start up a new NejiTen fic soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

It's sad to say this for a final time, but...

Thank you for reading A Thousand Miles!


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